Gamstop Mandatory For All UK Online Operators

A system which allows problem gamblers to block themselves from all UK betting websites in one go has now finally been approved by the industry regulator, almost 18 months after it was initially scheduled to be ready.  

Despite the delayed timeline, all gambling operators will now be instructed to sign up to Gamestop and will be ordered to do so as a condition of their operating license.  

It is therefore anticipated that the Gambling Commission will announce this requirement over the course of this week, although it is now addressing other concerns related to its effectiveness.  

However, the programme has already been criticised by industry insiders and outsiders who have raised concerns over how effective the measures will actually be. According to The Guardian, it has previously complained that there are huge flaws in the self-exclusion that allow problem gamblers to bypass it altogether.  

In May last year, when Gamestop was officially launched, the commission warned the Remote Gambling Association of its concerns over failings within the new system.  

One such issue was raised over the concern that Gamestop did not synchronise its list of registered users with companies’ promotional mailing lists. As a result, self-excluding players could still be faced with a bombardment of promotional material. This such behaviour has recently been a consideration in recent judgements against Sky Bet and LeoVegas.  

It is believed that around 99% of UK operators are already committed to the scheme and the remainder will risk losing their license if they do not eventually join. Additionally, it has been claimed that tens of thousands of users are already using Gamestop, which is now effective and run. This is despite the fact that it does not have the backing of the commission.

The Gambling Commission declined to comment on whether it was on the verge of approving Gamstop. “We have nothing further to announce on this at the moment,” said a spokesperson.