Right Way to Limit Gambling Activities

Gambling is a fun way to spend some leisure money with opportunities to win something back on your lucky day. However, the activity can also become a liability and develop compulsive behaviour. If you are concerned about how much time and money you spend on gambling activities, including researching and learning, it’s time to halt all activities. Various tools, schemes, and apps are available for punters looking to limit gambling activity from UK and non-UK websites. 

Set Aside Gambling Funds

Players should set aside the funds they are willing to spend on their pastimes. This way, it’s easier to avoid using the money for other budgets. If you constantly need to bet but have exceeded your set limit, you should put more effort into limiting your gambling activity before you start hurting your finances. Players can use different payment methods to avoid gambling main accounts and inheritances. 

The most popular option is crypto wallets. To avoid it you can use some crypto blockers and exclusion programs that are becoming popular nowadays. When there’s no more money in the leisure account, you can stop gambling until you set a new budget. Having a separate account allows you to limit how much you intend to shell out on leisure. Make sure you know your limits and bet with money you can afford to lose.

Monitor Your Gambling Patterns

Limiting gambling activity to healthy indulgences involves keeping track of the gambling spend. Players should track how much they are spending and winning from the gambling sessions to determine if they can use the money for other purposes.

Tracking browsing experience and interaction with gambling-related content, including ads, promotions and betting resources, can also provide insight into how much time you are spending on the pastime. Reviewing gambling patterns can help players identify triggers and avoid specific gambling instances. Gambling is one of many sources of entertainment, so players can free up time to participate in other fun activities with friends and family.

Join Self Exclusion

If you have trouble keeping track of your gambling patterns and resisting promotions, joining self-exclusion schemes can help limit your opportunities and overall indulgence. There are various ways to join self-exclusion, including national systems and game blockers. Popular solutions include:

GamStop

GamStop is UK’s national self-exclusion program introduced by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The commission requires all licensed operators to gather player information through the KYC procedure and match it against the GamStop database. Once a player signs up on GamStop, they can’t access online casinos and sportsbooks licensed by the UKGC. Players can take short six month breaks or choose one or five years.

However, they’ll still have access to non-GamStop websites since UKGC laws only apply to operators licensed by the commission. In general, non GamStop casino sites without self-exclusion are trending and their popularity is only growing. Nevertheless, it is an effective free service for blocking UK gambling websites. Other similar self-exclusion schemes include SpelPaus, which is designed for players in Sweden, ROFUS for Danish players and SENSE for land-based gamblers in the UK.

Game Blocker Apps

There are various software-based solutions, including free and paid apps players can use to block gambling websites and limit overall activity. Popular solutions include BetBlocker, a free service that instantly blocks access to thousands of gambling websites in the UK and Europe.

Once the app is installed on the device, it detects and blocks access to gambling websites in its robust database. Similar gambling blockers include Gamban, paid software with better algorithms and databases. Players can also choose Gamblock, Betfilter and NetNanny, which offer parental control and work in a similar fashion. Game blocker apps instantly block access to gambling websites using frequently updated databases or sophisticated algorithms that scour sites for gambling-related content.

Block Gambling Transactions Feature

Some banks allow users to protect their accounts from gambling transactions. The block gambling transaction feature lets the bank examine all transaction requests and origins to determine if they are from gambling companies and operators. If the transaction is gambling related, the bank will cancel it instantly and notify the account owner.

Activating this feature can help limit your gambling activity by preventing you from using your bank balance to fund your hobby. The feature is available in some banks only but poised to become a standard among UK financial institutions and operators licensed by the commission. However, the feature doesn’t prohibit using other payment methods, so players can still send money to another casino banking method, such as an eWallet or cryptocurrency wallet.

Use Internal Limits and Schemes

Most casinos claim dedication to responsible gambling, and the best operators feature various internal structures to protect players and offer help where necessary. Popular schemes include:

• Deposit and Loss Limits – Players can set the maximum deposit or loss per day, week or month. Once the limit is reached, they can’t make another deposit or wager real money on the platform until a new window opens up. Setting limits can significantly reduce impulsive spending on gambling activity.

• Cool-off Period – Players can sign up for cool-off periods, during which they allow the casino to freeze their gambling accounts and prevent any betting activity. They are internal self-exclusion schemes for temporary breaks. 

• Block Promotions – If you receive promotional messages through email, you can block notifications and promotions from the casino. Players can also pursue features to reduce ad impressions from social media and other digital media.

Unfortunately, internal programs are exclusive to the casino, meaning players have to join a scheme at each site. There’s no universal way to self-exclude from all casinos using internal options. Nonetheless, they are perfect for blocking sites accessible due to gaps in universal self-exclusion measures. 

Summary

UK players have many solutions for limiting gambling activity. You can combine different methods, such as GamStop, gambling blockers, internal self-exclusion and the block gambling transaction feature. Obviously, that GamStop works and it is the easiest option, but it is recommended you use it together with other options. It’s also vital to seek professional help if you are increasingly finding it difficult to stay away from gambling products or spend too much time interacting with gambling-related content.