To protect gamblers from possible consequences and problems associated with gambling, online casinos provide a number of precautions. This includes poker players who, like all other gamblers, can use the methods and tools of self-exclusion. But are they really that effective?
Using GamStop, the most popular self-exclusion program in the UK, as an example, we’re going to emphasise the main aspects and features of self-exclusion for poker players. This has its pros and cons, so our task is to describe the most important and necessary for understanding.
First, if you don’t know what self-exclusion programs are, there is nothing to worry about, especially if you are a beginner. In short, this is a special tool that gambling platforms use for the player to take a break or prevent the appearance of addiction.
Poker players must act in cold blood because successful strategic deception in online poker matters a lot, and it is primarily based on the ability to control one’s emotions. This isn't easy to achieve without scoping out of the game and taking a breather.
Sean McCulloch, a computer systems specialist at Ohio University (USA), has evaluated over a hundred million poker games on the Internet and concluded that only 24% of them end in a showdown. The game can go on for a long time and in this case, the winner is the one who got the most successful hand. In all other cases, the most skilful and experienced player wins. In conclusion, he also said that success and mastery are directly related to skill.
Mastery comes with time and requires proper rest and breaks. So sometimes, it is necessary to activate the cool-down period using GamStop or another self-exclusion program.
Poker fundamentally differs from other casino games if we are discussing self-exclusion. Most experienced and even novice poker players use mathematical calculations, which can take a lot of time. This includes understanding and knowing how to calculate implied odds, expected value, and possible opponent's hand, which is definitely not the case when playing slots or roulette.
But if a player has an activated time limit for playing per day via GamStop, will it be possible to finish such games successfully? Definitely not, and that's not the only argument against self-exclusion. There are also three main reasons why GamStop is ineffective and, in some cases, inconvenient.
GamStop is used primarily on UK-based gambling platforms with the UKGC licence and is not available overseas, hence the number of UK casinos not on GamStop is increasing. What does it mean? Even if they have an active GamStop self-exclusion period, gamblers can easily go to an online casino site that is not connected to this program. As a result, such self-exclusion measures are not entirely effective since they can be bypassed very simply — especially with easy access to non UK casinos at NonStopCasino.co.uk or other popular sites. These platforms continue to attract players looking for fewer restrictions and a wider variety of betting opportunities.
The lack of a way to cancel or pause the self-exclusion period is a key aspect of GamStop. This strict policy has contributed to the rise of betting sites without verification, which attract players seeking more flexible options. GamStop offers three self-exclusion periods: 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, with no possibility to shorten or interrupt them. While these rules enhance GamStop’s effectiveness, many poker players and bettors find it difficult to stop their activity for such extended periods, leading them to explore alternative platforms.
Tournaments are frequent online poker events. There are many big poker events out there; for example, one of the largest recent tournaments was hosted by the Pokerstars platform, with a prize pool of over $17 million. But not all poker players, even the most experienced ones, were able to participate in it. The reason was an active GamStop break period. As a result, players lost their chance to participate in a major poker event.
But do not think that GamStop is something terrible and spoils the gambling ecosystem. On the contrary, this program has helped over a million gamblers worldwide, which is why GamStop is so widespread.
One of the main features of GamStop is the fight against addiction and problem gambling. Taking a break from the game lets you step away from poker or other casino games to do more important things in real life. As practice shows, many get more pleasure from the game after a break.
GamStop is a huge centralised self-exclusion system that covers multiple gambling sites. Having activated GamStop once, it will work on all online casinos and bookmakers (which are connected and work under GamStop). That is, players do not need to manually enable it on every site on which they are registered.
When compared to other online games, what makes online poker stand out is the fact that this game requires a combination of experience, skill, and intuition. To ensure secure poker play, it’s important to balance active gaming with proper rest and continuous learning. Taking a self-exclusion break via GamStop can be an effective tool to achieve this balance. While on a break, you can deepen your understanding of poker theory, study the strategies of renowned players, analyse poker tournaments, and broaden your knowledge in other valuable ways.
It is up to you whether to join the self-exclusion program or not. Such an action depends on your goals and the state of poker-related affairs. But still, if you notice the first signs of addiction, we recommend immediately stopping and activating GamStop or another self-exclusion program. Otherwise, follow the basics of responsible gambling and choose trusted poker sites to make the game enjoyable.
