For two decades or more, there has been an ongoing debate about which online casino games online gamblers seem to prefer. Amazingly, that debate continues today while the online casino market is experiencing exponential growth from one year to the next.
Introducing GamStop
As the online gambling community grows, it’s getting more scrutiny from the UK government through the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) regulatory body. It’s the UKGC’s responsibility to make sure UK gamblers are being protected from problem gambling issues and predatory practices by online casino operators.
In an effort to provide a meaningful resource for the protection of problem online casino gamblers, the UKGC played a role in the development of the GamStop Self-Exclusion scheme. The program was designed as a way for UK online casino gamblers to tell online casinos they needed help.
How GamStop Works
For licensed online gambling operators in the UK, subscribing to GamStop is mandatory. Non-compliance could result in big fines and or the loss of gambling operator licensing.
For gamblers, the registration process is fast and easy. After completing the registration form and getting program approval, gamblers go into the GamStop database. While in that database, they are blocked from using existing gambling accounts. They are also blocked from opening any new accounts. Each gambler gets to decide how long they want to be blocked. Based on that decision, they are blocked until their self-exclusion period ends.
The program works well for any gambler who is sincere about managing their problem gambling issues. For the ones that might not be sincere, there are ways they can get around GamStop. A favorite way is playing without GamStop through the CasinoWise sites listed on the CasinoWise website.
By the way, GamStop gamblers do have other ways to beat the scheme. They have options like:
- Gambling abroad out of the reach of the UKGC
- Using online casinos that do little to no account verification
- Using crypto (as a banking option) and crypto-only online casinos
- Opening new accounts under legitimate names that belong to friends and relatives
- Visiting retail gambling sites and foregoing online gambling altogether
Most Favorite Online Games among GamStop Players
In case anyone is wondering, most GamStop gamblers are like any other group of online gamblers. The only difference is they registered with GamStop because they or a loved one became concerned about the possibility of gambling addiction.
Since GamStop gamblers are not unique, it’s fair to say their favorite online casino games are the same online casino games unregistered online gamblers like. So where do we start?
For years, online casino experts have been proclaiming that online slots are what drives the online casino industry. Given the fact that some online casinos offer thousands of video slot games, that would seem to be a fair proclamation. But don’t forget about video games, they remain the first and only popular alternative.
To get more specific, video slots from top software developers like Netent and Microgaming are very much in demand by both registered and unregistered GamStop gamblers. What online gamblers seem to love about these games are:
- They come in a wide range of game formats (variety is the spice of life)
- They include of fun and exciting interactive bonus features
- They provide an opportunity to win large amounts of money from very small bets
- They offer a constant flow of gross payouts
While video slots will likely always rule the online casino universe, GamStop gamblers seem to also have a fondness for “live casino” games. As the term indicates, playing these games simulates being in a live casino because the games are being controlled by live dealers. Live casino technology has gotten so good that all the sights and sounds of a land-based casino environment have become part of the live casino experience. The list of available live casino games (depending on the online casino) usually includes table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, Dragon Tiger, Three Card Poker, Casino Hold’em, Dream Catcher, and more.
Here is one last interesting point. The favorite game of any GamStop gambler is going to be the first game they play when they either go around the GamStop scheme or start gambling again after their self-exclusion has expired.