Chances are if you utilize online casinos in the UK, you’ve been exposed to Gamstop. The initiative is aimed at helping those who may have a gambling addiction, the self-inclusion program is open to any who would like to sign up to, and the casinos that opt-in to the program will blacklist your information, prohibiting you from using the services until the self-inclusion period expires.

But what are the rules here? What if you have a payout on one of the casinos included with Gamstop, am I still able to gamble if I am registered with Gamstop? Are there any sites not on gamstop? We’ll take you through the options available to you.

Are there any sites not on Gamstop?

In a nutshell, yes there are. Any casino that is an independent, non-UK casino won’t be a part of the Gamstop initiative. There are a large number of them, and they have a number of benefits including:

 – They accept players from all over the world
 – They’re free from outside control
 – They’re powered by software providers that usually appear in US casinos
 – They accept crypto payments

Non UK casinos, and those sites not on Gamstop are actually more common place than you think – in fact, you’ll find a good list of them here. They include casino, slots, bingo and poker, and some of the bonuses and initiatives are just as compelling as those non-independent ones.

Can I still gamble if I’m opted in to Gamstop?

The short answer here is yes! You are still able to gamble. The inclusion is only occurring to the online casinos that have registered with the initiative, which means there are other options available to you. As it is only exclusive to certain online casinos, that means those who are registered outside of the UK or who have chosen not to opt-in are still available to you – there are those registered in Curacao, Gibraltar, and Malta, these countries typically have gambling laws that favour the consumer and as these countries aren’t required to have their online casinos register with Gamstop.

Physical Casinos are also still available to you – if you are registered with Gamstop you’re still able to access any physical casino location. If they do offer an online alternative that you have signed up to, you may run into some issues with your account at the physical location, but they also cannot stop you from gambling at that location.

Gambling responsibly is always urged, of course, whether online or in real life. But if you have been opted-in to the initiative in a way that is perhaps out of your control, then there are still plenty of options available to you.
 
How do I get my pay-out if I am blacklisted?

You may have money tied up in some of the online casinos that you are registered to – if you become blacklisted then you’re no longer available to access those accounts. There are options available to you, however, to recover any payout that is tied up.

Live chat is one of the choices available to you – if you are prohibited from accessing the website then you may not be able to use the live chat feature, but if you’re able to access the online sites through use of a friends account, you may be able to get in contact with a website moderator through the use of live chat, which is of course free.

Calling the office is another option available to you – if you’re unable to access the online page, then you are still able to get in contact with them through telephone. To keep a leg up on the competition, online casinos will typically have incredible customer service, if you’re able to phone them up and explain your situation, you may receive the positive response you’re looking for.

And finally, e-mail, or alternatively a letter. If for whatever reason you’re unable to access their live chat or give them a phone call, sending an email is always an option. Whilst it is always recommended to not hand over personal information through email, you may not have any other option available to you, similarly, the online casinos will have a physical location somewhere, and none of the above are an option available to you then you can always send a physical letter. It may take longer than other methods, but it may be another way to get the pay-out waiting for you.