The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) is launching a new self-exclusion scheme for problem gamblers called GAMSTOP.
Under the new plan, problem gamblers would be able to voluntarily self-exclude themselves from a range of RGA-affiliated sites with a single, online registration. As it stands today, the plan only covers sites that are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
GAMSTOP not only allows problem gamblers to self-exclude from online casinos, it also provides them with access to other resources to help manage their problem.
While most credible online operators watch out for problem gamblers to some degree or another, GAMSTOP is not a program that came from the goodness of the collective gambling industry’s heart. The program was mandated by the The Gambling (Advertising and Licensing) Act 2014.
Under the terms of the Gambling Act, all online operators that serve the UK market must participate in a self-exclusion scheme for problem gamblers. GAMSTOP is the industry’s answer to that mandate and it appears to be a pretty good one.
Fiona Palmer, RGA Director of Social Responsibility, described GAMSTOP in Betting-Business.co as follows:
We are at a very exciting stage in the development of GAMSTOP. With the branding now established and process design well advanced, the focus in the coming months will be on technology integration and industry communication. We are therefore confident that we will deliver self-exclusion on the truly national scale needed to assist consumers who need this kind of help to manage their gambling
Over at the UK Gambling Commission, Director Paul Hope expressed enthusiasm for the plan describing it as a, “powerful tool,” for problem gamblers in need of assistance.
So far there’s been no word on when GAMSTOP will be formally launched.