The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the main regulatory body for all online gambling operations in the United Kingdom, including online casinos. The commission sets strict guidelines for all licensed casinos to follow, ensuring player protection and fair play. One of the most notable regulations is Gamstop, a national self-exclusion scheme that allows players to self-exclude from all UKGC licensed casinos. This means that if a player chooses to self-exclude through Gamstop, they will be prohibited from playing at any UKGC licensed casino, regardless of whether they have ever been registered with that casino before.
However, non-Gamstop and non-UKGC casinos, also known as Non UK Licensed Casinos, are not bound by these regulations. This has led to a growing number of UK players turning to these foreign casinos as they offer more freedom, such as the ability to play without self-exclusion, and a wider variety of games. These non-Gamstop UK casinos are based outside of the UK, and are not required to comply with the UKGC regulations, which has made them very attractive to UK players looking to play their favorite casino games online.
Non-Gamstop Casinos – Why Do They Exist?
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) regulates gambling in the United Kingdom. They have a wide range of regulations that apply to online casino providers, including age criteria, limits on the amount of bets, requirements for return to player (RTP) percentages, self-exclusion durations, and the availability of game providers. These regulations make it difficult for online casino brands to compete with each other by offering a wide variety of game types or by increasing their RTP ratios.
Some gambling enthusiasts and experts argue that these regulations have had a negative impact on the quality of online casinos in the UK. They also point out that many players are choosing to play at foreign online casinos that are not regulated by the UKGC in order to have a more enjoyable gambling experience.
UKGC regulations include many factors like age criteria, bet amount limits, RTP, self-exclusion duration, and even availability of game providers. The regulations make online gambling less competitive in terms of variety of games and RTP(Return to Player). It’s important to note that it’s always good to check the chart which covers the factors regulated by UKGC before start playing on the online casinos.
UKGC Limitations for Online Casino
In march 2020, UKGC has issued a law that acted as a game changer in the Online Gambling Industry. As of March 2020, all of the regulated UK Online Casinos should participate in the scheme of GAMSTOP.
What is GAMSTOP
GAMSTOP is an online self-exclusion scheme that is responsible for enforcing self-exclusion laws for online casino brands that are regulated in the UK. According to the law passed in March 2020, all online casinos operating in the United Kingdom must participate in the GAMSTOP project. Self-exclusion on GAMSTOP means that no UK-licensed gambling sites are allowed to allow a player who has been excluded to participate in any form of gambling. This self-exclusion applies to every UK-licensed online casino, whether the player has ever registered on it or not.
Gamstop Regulations and UKGC casinos
A large number of UK-regulated casinos are required to participate in Gamstop, meaning they are not allowed to have their own self-exclusion policy. This regulation has both supporters and opponents. Those who support the existence of GAMSTOP argue that gambling addiction is a major problem and that it is everyone’s right to combat it. They believe that GAMSTOP can be a useful tool for taking a break from gambling in order to regain control.
On the other hand, experts who are against GAMSTOP argue that the frustrations caused by one casino, for example, should not prohibit a player from trying their luck at another casino. While it is true that casinos can’t compete with each other in terms of the availability of games or RTP ratios due to regulations set by the UKGC, there are still other ways in which casinos can differentiate themselves, such as through their approach, promotional offers, design, and other features. GAMSTOP removes the competition between brands, as self-exclusion on one of them means self-exclusion on all. This can limit the choices for players and as a result, they might not have the full gambling experience.
Non-Gamstop UK Casinos
As the regulations set by GAMSTOP and the UKGC have limited the competition among gambling brands and led to a decrease in the overall quality of gambling, many players in the UK have turned to foreign online casinos. This is because these casinos are not subject to the same regulations and restrictions, and thus may offer a wider range of games and options than their UK-licensed counterparts. Additionally, the duration of self-exclusion on UK-based casinos that participate in GAMSTOP can be perceived as too long for some players, preventing them from resuming gambling even if they feel emotionally stable and want to continue playing casino games.
There are many foreign online casino brands that accept players from the UK and compete to be the best non-Gamstop casinos worldwide. Some popular options among players include Bet365, Unibet, and Williamhill, as well as thousands of other casinos. it’s important to check their reviews and reputation before joining them.
As a general advice, it’s always good to be aware of the risks and do your own research before you join any kind of casino, either UK-licensed or foreign ones.
MyStake Casino
MyStake is a well-known non-Gamstop UK casino that is licensed in Curacao. It offers a variety of games from popular providers such as Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, MicroGaming, Evolution Gaming, and others that are not typically available on UK-licensed casinos.
One of the key features of MyStake is that it accepts VISA and MasterCard as deposit options, which sets it apart from other non-Gamstop casinos such as Stake, Gamdom, that primarily rely on crypto currency deposit methods. MyStake offers a deposit limit of up to 10,000 GBP per transaction, with no additional fees and makes the deposit amount fully available on your playing account instantly. Additionally, it offers other deposit methods such as Bank Transfer, Neosurf, Skrill, Neteller and Cryto (BTC, USDT, ETH, XRP, Litecoin, BCH) with a limit of 10,000£ for most of them and unlimited for crypto deposits.
MyStake is also known for offering real games, as opposed to replicated versions of popular slots or mini-games offered by other non-Gamstop casinos. The casino has a large player base worldwide, with only 20% of its players based in the UK and the remaining 80% distributed across countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Canada, and even the United States. With millions of players worldwide, it has a Trustpilot Trust score of 4.4/5.0. You can also look up MyStake casino on Trustpilot to see the reviews.
It’s worth noting that while MyStake is licensed in Curacao, it may not follow the same regulations as UKGC. So, it’s always good to check their terms and regulations before playing.
One of the standout features of MyStake Casino is the wide variety of bonus offers it provides to its players. Foreign casinos often try to compete by offering high-percentage welcome bonuses, and MyStake offers some of the best with up to 170% welcome bonus. The chart you provided shows some of the bonuses available on the casino, such as a lucky free spins, unlimited cashback, sports welcome bonus, casino welcome bonus, 3+1 free bet, 2nd deposit casino bonus and boosted odds.
However, it’s important to note that even though MyStake has over 6,000 casino and live casino games, some of them may not be available depending on the player’s location. To access all the games, one can use a VPN to change their location to a country where all the games are available, such as Brazil. As an advise, it’s always good to check the terms and conditions of the bonus and the casino before redeeming any bonus.
GoldenBet Casino
Goldenbet is a relatively new non-Gamstop casino that accepts players from the United Kingdom. As a newcomer in the market, it faces competition from established brands such as MyStake, Stake.com, Gamdom and others, so it needs to offer something unique to stand out.
From what you’ve said, it seems that Goldenbet has been well-received by players in the UK and has gained a reputation for offering a good selection of games, bonuses and special offers, along with a unique golden-colored design that sets it apart from other online casinos.
Like MyStake, Goldenbet also offers both fiat and crypto deposit methods, giving players the flexibility to use traditional payment methods such as credit cards alongside with crypto.It’s also important to remind that as Goldenbet is not regulated by UKGC, before join the casino it’s always a good idea to check their terms and regulations to ensure that they are fair and safe to use.
VPN – The Solution for GAMSTOP Regulations
It’s true that many countries have regulations on online casinos, similar to the UKGC in the United Kingdom. Different countries may ban different game providers, such as AAMS in Italy and ANJ in France.
One solution for bypassing government regulations on online gambling is to use a VPN, which allows you to change your local IP address and trick the website server into thinking you are accessing the site from a different location. For example, if a game provider is banned in the UK, but is available in another country, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in that country and access the game.
Brazil is often considered as one of the most non-regulated market for gambling, which makes it an attractive option for VPN connection to access all the games available on online casinos. VPNs can also be used to avoid regulations on other types of online services such as streaming sites, adult content sites, crypto currency platforms, and gaming platforms.
When it comes to VPNs that are suitable for gambling, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN are some popular options. They all offer a large selection of countries to connect to, with NordVPN having servers in over 50 countries, ExpressVPN being specialized in gambling and CyberGhost VPN having servers in more than 90 countries. Most of these VPNs offer a low cost, user-friendly interface and offer a money-back guarantee as well.
What is the RTP
The RTP, or return to player percentage, is a measure of how much of the total bet amount is returned to players on average over the long term. RTP is usually expressed as a percentage and can be found on many casino games, though not always prominently displayed. It can usually be found in the game’s “about” window or in the game’s rules or paytable. Each game will have its own RTP percentage, and online casinos usually have a range of games with different RTPs.
It’s important to understand that the RTP of a game is a theoretical value and doesn’t guarantee specific outcomes in individual play sessions. The outcome of each spin or game round is determined by a random number generator (RNG) and the RTP doesn’t affect the odds of winning or losing on any given spin.
When it comes to choosing an online casino, it’s important to ensure that the casino is properly licensed and regulated. Different licenses are issued by different regulatory bodies, and the most common licenses include Curacao e-Gaming License (CEG). Casinos licensed under CEG can offer a wide variety of games and promotions, and are not limited to accepting players from certain countries. However, it’s important to check that a casino has a valid license and to be aware that obtaining a license from Curacao may be cheaper than from other jurisdiction and that it does not guarantee any level of safety or reliability for the player.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission License
Casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) are legally able to operate in the United Kingdom and are subject to strict regulations set by the UK government. These regulations can affect the overall playing experience, as certain games and features may be restricted. However, UKGC licensed casinos must adhere to strict standards for player protection and fair play, which can provide a greater level of safety for players. Additionally, being licensed by the UKGC is considered a higher level of authority as it’s more hard to achieve as many requirements and regulations to be followed.
It’s important to note that this license can only be used by online casinos that target UK players.
It’s always important to check if a casino has a valid UKGC license and to take this into account when choosing an online casino to play. It’s not necessarily better than another license, but it does guarantee a level of safety and compliance with UK regulations.
Malta Gambling Authority (MGA)
Malta Gambling Authority (MGA) is also one of the most influential licenses. Casinos licensed with MGA are available only on limited number of countries such as: Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Croatia, Chile, etc.. MGA casinos are not completely free of regulations, however, it’s still less bureaucracy than the CEG. Here’s how the MGA license should look in the casino footer.
How to tell if the Casino is Legit or a Scam?
To summarize, there are a few key things to look for when checking the legitimacy of an online casino. First and foremost, check the casino’s license and ensure that it is from a reputable regulatory authority. Next, look at the availability of games and providers, as well-known providers typically only partner with legitimate casinos. Additionally, read reviews of the casino and pay attention to any red flags or warning signs. Finally, be wary of suspicious payment methods and account registration requirements. It’s also good to check if they have a good customer support service and support multiple languages. By following these steps, you can help protect yourself and ensure a safe and enjoyable gambling experience.
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Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/01/11/united-kingdom-gambling-commission-ukgc-the-british-gambling-regulator/