As an independent scheme for self-exclusion directed towards problematic gamblers facing serious addiction issues, GamStop is collaborating with various organizations including football clubs to support its purpose. This collaboration results in establishing a symbiotic relationship that helps each of the parties to achieve its goal.
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission updated the rules and regulations in March 2020. Among the new regulations, it is mandatory for all online gambling portals to collaborate with GamStop. Discarding the proposal would result in the termination of the license for these operators. Football clubs along with other massive organizations stepped in to collaborate with GamStop, another organization supporting safe gambling. One of the highlight features of GameStop is this alliance with various sporting clubs. Among those clubs here we are about to discuss the football clubs associated with GamStop.
Promoting GamStop Self-Exclusion
Football is considered the most popular sport in the UK and the fan following comprises almost the entire country. Hence, the popularity of football can positively influence the aims and objectives of GamStop. Football clubs promoting GamStop help it to reach a greater number of populations than any other sports.
The football clubs promote GamStop in the match days as well as in their various social media handles and other sources. This increases the reach and hence creates a sense of awareness among people. This came out to be a clever way to educate people about what features GamStop provides and how effective it is in saving people from losing their resources out of gambling addiction. Middlesbrough Football Club is also in support of GamStop.
How GamStop Helps Problematic Punters
GamStop is a free service available for the public welfare. It is limited to the UK punters since recent studies have shown that more than 2 million people in the UK are at risk of losing their resources falling prey to the issues related to gambling addiction. On registration, GamStop helps problematic punters by hindering their entry into the online casinos.
But the limitations of GamStop include, it only possesses control over the sites that are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. GamStop punters are still using betting websites that are holding an offshore license and yet providing excellent service to the punters escape complete control of GamStop.
Football clubs associated with GamStop
One of the first football clubs to voluntarily partner up with GamStop was the Luton Town Football Club. Owing to the huge number of fan following, the football club of Luton Town helps open up the door for GamStop to reach a greater percentage of the population within the nation. This partnership comes with the members of the club including the athletes to take part in various activities and workshops regarding protection against irresponsible gambling.
This also works to safeguard against the members who might be at risk to involve in such issues. This in return brings goodwill to the club itself. The Luton Town Football Club is promoting this collaboration through all their social media sites as well as on their match days. All these add up with the effort the team of GamStop has been putting in since the start to reach the goal which is to become the trusted companion for the UK citizens to confide to GamStop regarding every problem encircling the topic of problematic gambling and the addiction issues that might be related to it.
Supporting Responsible Gambling Policies
The policies of responsible gambling within the boundaries of the UK denotes a few of the pointers we are about to discuss below
- The absolute prevention of under-aged gambling that is anyone under the age of 18 is kept away from entering the sites and participating in wagering activities both online and offline. The prohibition is applicable for even sports betting.
- The provision of protection towards gamblers who are at risk. There are free programs available for vulnerable punters to seek help from.
- Privacy of details regarding gambler’s financial details as well as other data is subjected to complete privacy. Strict encryption policies are indispensable for getting acknowledged. These practices of safety are enforced lawfully to the punters and the operators in order to continue the practice of safe operation.
- Security provisions for all the transactions taking place are a subject of heavy security in order to escape any fraudulent activity which is quite common with regards to the popularity and growth of the gambling industry in the UK. Payment getaways that are applicable for these operational sites are first made sure to be reliable.
- Ethical policies of marketing are something that is taken quite seriously by the UK government and belongs to one of the policies of responsible gambling. It is to make sure the operators are not making targets out of people vulnerable to unsafe gambling practices.
Concluding Thoughts
Football clubs like Luton Town and Middlesbrough stand by the noble purpose of saving vulnerable gamblers as a gesture of solidarity and reciprocation as well as admiration and support they receive.
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