Gamban VS GamStop

Online casinos, like other types of wagering platforms on the Internet, have been on the rise in Britain. Due to their accessibility, we can place bets easily and repeatedly, thus putting ourselves at risk of playing beyond our means.

In the United Kingdom alone, there are hundreds of thousands of adults with gambling addiction. Some 2 million more are on the brink of being classified as such. To stem this growing problem, regulators and the industry itself have set the standards for responsible gambling and safe betting. One of these responsible-gambling standards involves self-exclusion, which allows us to restrict ourselves from betting-related transactions. There are schemes that help us limit our spending on games, either to prevent us from going overboard or to cure our gambling addiction altogether.

General Info

Different types of self-exclusion schemes and solutions that promote the principles of responsible gambling aren’t just for us players. It’s also for our loved ones and our communities, who are likely to suffer the impact of our wagering habits.

In the UK, about 1 in every 10 non-gamblers is affected negatively by family members who wager their money instead of spending it on necessities. In response to this, several self-exclusion schemes and solutions have been made available nationwide, with GamStop and Gamban being two of the most reliable ones. Here’s how we’ve compared and contrasted them:

GamStop

GamStop is the national registry of self-excluding players that enjoys the support of the UK Gambling Commission. Soft-launched in 2018, the free scheme is operated by the National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme Limited, a non-profit organisation with headquarters in England. This solution has welcomed more than 400,000 registrations, and it will enable you to ban yourself from licensed gambling sites in the country. There are, however, UK online casino sites not on GamStop scheme at the moment, including Golden Mister Casino and Tropical Wins Casino.

Gamban

Gamban is a software you can install on your Windows or Mac computer and your Apple or Android mobile device. Launched in mid-2016 by Gamban Limited that’s based in England, this paid tool has been the self-exclusion choice of 250,000-plus players in the UK and other countries. It will block you out of at least 70,000 digital platforms, although there are casino brands not on Gamban at the moment. These include Crazy Star Casino, Maximum Casino, and SlotsNBets Casino.

Gamban and GamStop Differences

We’re often asked, ‘Which one is more effective, Gamban or GamStop?’ There’s no cookie-cutter answer to this question because our gambling habits may differ from yours or other readers’. But to help you understand how each of these two services works, we’ve put together the following review of Gamban and GamStop. Our point-by-point explanation of the two solutions’ differences could also help you decide which one would be the perfect fit for you, based on your wagering-lifestyle goals:

Type of Service

GamStop is a no-cost online registration platform where you can submit your intention to self-exclude. Its digital form will ask for your personal information, such as current and past email addresses, postcodes, and mobile numbers. Once confirmed, your details will be shared with UK-licence gambling operators that, in turn, will block you from their respective sites. Gamban, meanwhile, is a paid subscription-based software that will allow you to block more than 75,000 gambling Websites and apps in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Availability

GamStop is a UK Gambling Commission-supported self-exclusion scheme available throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its network consists of licensed gambling establishments and certain lottery operators, which are required by law to participate in the GamStop scheme. Gamban, meanwhile, is run by a for-profit company of the same name. Although registered in the UK to serve players living here, you can use it when you’re abroad. Its reach extends to at least 195 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Platform

The GamStop scheme, on the one hand, may be accessed on any browser for your computer or mobile device. The GamStop Website serves as your point of access to self-exclusion, and it contains the form where you can key in details about yourself and your preferred exclusion period. The Gamban solution, on the other hand, may be accessed by paying for and downloading the software. You can run it on your Windows or Mac desktop or laptop, and you can install the app on your Android or iOS tablet or phone.

Cost

As earlier mentioned, GamStop is free to use throughout your self-exclusion. Its basic and additional support features don’t have any hidden charges. The not-for-profit organisation behind this solution can afford to provide us players free services because their funding comes from the licensed gambling operators themselves. With Gamban, you’ll need to pay for the licence to download and run the blocking software. The two pricing options are £2.49 per month and £24.99 per year. Note that billing only starts after your trial period.

Self-Exclusion Period

With GamStop, you can choose from three duration options: 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years. These medium-term and long-term exclusion schedules are designed to help you abstain from gambling for extended periods, if not make you quit for good. With Gamban, you’re given two duration options, which are monthly and yearly. The monthly option could help you wean off the betting habit gradually, whilst the yearly option could make you decide to turn away from your wagering lifestyle permanently. Both options are renewable.

Support

Besides letting gambling and lottery sites know about your self-exclusion status, GamStop will provide you with emotional support, debt support, and family support. The GamStop network includes organisations that are focused on giving you advice on how to recover from the mental-health, financial, and domestic crises arising from your gambling activities. Gamban also has similar resources to make your journey out of the excessive-betting lifestyle less stressful and painful. Additionally, Gamban has a customer service team on stand-by for your technical enquiries.

Cancellation

GamStop will let you cancel your registration only after your current exclusion period has ended. It’s worth noting that its database will retain your personal information for seven (7) years, from your self-exclusion’s expiry date. Gamban, meanwhile, will remove your licence to use the software as soon as your subscription has ended. It’s worth remembering that you’ll need to cancel your subscription manually and that technical support won’t be able to help you uninstall the app.

GamStop and Gamban: Comparing Features

GamStop and Gamban each have unique qualities, and they differ in scope, coverage, and several other aspects. But as explained above, they’re similar in purpose, which is either to make sure that we players keep high standards of responsible gambling, or to help us quit our betting habits altogether. For this review of GamStop and Gamban, we’ve put together a mini-comparison of their strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, and features and functions. See how these could help you reach your short-term, medium-term, and long-term self-exclusion goals:

Purpose

Both GamStop and Gamban allow you to self-exclude from digital betting platforms of varying types. The GamStop scheme involves: 1) your registration to the network; 2) GamStop’s submission of your information to the participating gambling establishments; and 3) these establishments banning you from their platforms. The Gamban solution, meanwhile, lets you block betting Websites and apps from your desktop, laptop, and mobile device.

Target Audience

Both GamStop and Gamban welcome the registration of players seeking to limit or completely end their gambling activities. However, GamStop can only accommodate you if you’re an adult player previously registered on licensed betting sites in the UK, with verified identification cards and bank details. In contrast, Gamban could help you remove your and your minor children’s access to digital wagering platforms, using your devices.

Voluntary Participation

GamStop and Gamban both involve voluntary participation, which is the foundation of self-exclusion. It’s the very reason for GamStop’s existence. GamStop works by matching your personal details, including your bank information, with those you’ve used to make deposits and withdrawals on gambling Websites and apps. Gamban, however, extends its reach by featuring parental controls to protect your kids from the dangers of online gambling.

Confidentiality

GamStop isn’t designed for anonymity, confidentiality, or data privacy. This is because its strategy is to match the personal information you’ve submitted for self-exclusion purposes, with the details you’ve given to the gambling operators. Additionally, the scheme will retain your data for 7 years after your exclusion period has ended. Gamban, meanwhile, doesn’t ask for identification. It also uses a secure processing system for the card you use to buy the software licence.

Alternative Comparative Reviews Of Self-Exclusion Tools

Gamban and GamStop are just two of the best self-exclusion apps and services available to online players seeking to minimise or eliminate their gambling urges. If you’re looking for more options that are close to Gamban’s and GamStop’s reliability and popularity, consider the names BetBlocker, BetFilter, BetStop, GamBlock, and Net Nanny. They have their unique characteristics that may work better for some than for others. For a deeper understanding of these alternative self-exclusion solutions’ features, check out our comparative reviews below:

• BetBlocker vs Gamban
• BetBlocker vs BetFilter
• BetBlocker vs GamBlock
• BetBlocker vs GamStop
• BetBlocker vs. Net Nanny
• BetStop vs GamStop

How Effective Are Gamban And GamStop: Users Experience

Gamban and GamStop are two of today’s most dependable solutions to the gambling problem across the UK. Their respective designs are consistent with the country’s responsible gambling rules and should be able to help keep your willpower in check. But with their pros come cons, as some users have found. Let’s see what players subscribed to Gamban or registered with GamStop have to say about their self-exclusion scheme:

Gamban Reviews

• Gamban’s list isn’t definitive. When I bought an annual licence, I thought I could rely on it heavily, but I’d discovered too late that it wasn’t blocking a lot of the rogue sites and apps that had tempting bonuses. My discovery was both for Wales where I lived, and overseas. Canada and Kenya were just two countries where I got to play using my laptop, tablet, and phone! I reported the matter to customer support but never got a proper response. I was still subscribed when I returned to CA and KE, but I got to access the same sites and apps again. And now that I want to uninstall the software, I can’t!
• I needed as many solutions to my problem of wasting money on online casinos, so I used Gamban alongside GamStop for that extra layer of protection. Gamban was a godsend because it prevented me from going to online casinos that GamStop had no power over. (GamStop only lists establishments authorised by the British Gambling Commission.) I did not encounter any difficulties using Gamban, maybe because I read the Terms of Use before signing up, so I already knew what to expect. It took me back-to-back annual renewals before getting rid of the gambler in me. No, I have no regrets investing in Gamban.

GamStop Reviews

• GamStop is awesome, but only as far as volunteering to get banned from online casinos with Britain’s Gambling Commission licences. But it’s awful when it comes to protecting me from the non-licenced ones. It’s also terrible that GamStop has this policy of keeping my data in their system for more than half a decade. I know this is stated in the terms. But I simply don’t see a good reason why my identity and exclusion status must stay with GamStop long after I’ve stopped gambling. If you’re contemplating taking part in the GamStop scheme, read the terms thoroughly before making a decision.
• I’m on GamStop’s year-long exclusion right now, having ended my first 6 months on the registry. I love that GamStop’s list includes the online casinos I’ve been frequenting (and throwing my money away on) all these years. Strangely, I feel proud of myself whenever I try to access my favourite online casinos (for kicks) and then get turned away (because of GamStop). Anyway, I also appreciate the GamStop resource bank that has plenty of information on the not-for-profits I can turn to, now that I want to reclaim my pre-gambling life. I’m looking to participate in an EPIC Restart Foundation programme that I feel will speed up my reboot.

Conclusion: Which One to Choose?

GamStop and Gamban work hand in hand, and well within the standards of responsible gambling, so it’s fine to sign on to both schemes at the same time. But if you must pick only one of these two solutions, it’s best to factor your current situation, needs, wants, and goals into the decision-making process.

For example, if you frequently travel to other countries and want yourself blocked from online casinos at home and elsewhere, Gamban would make for a useful self-exclusion companion. But if you haven’t any plans to go abroad within the coming months, and you don’t have a budget for paid self-exclusion, GamStop would be your perfect shield from the betting temptation.