GamStop v. Gamban – The Differences and The Similarities

The UK’s gambling situation has been a hot topic of discussion among British players for some time now, and it doesn’t seem the discussion is going to stop anytime soon. The reason behind it is the fact that the UK’s main gambling regulator – the UKGC – comes with several restrictive schemes and systems, making the British gambling scene not as inviting as in other, less-regulated countries. The two of the most important, inseparable parts of the UKGC are GamStop and Gamban – both self-restrictive tools of exclusion. What is either of these? How do they work? Do they have anything in common, or are they nothing alike? Let’s describe both separately and compare their similarities and differences below, shall we?

What is GamStop?

GamStop is the UKGC’s self-exclusion scheme, generally employed to exclude the player from online gambling altogether. GamStop is a fundamental part of the UKGC and was initially created to assist British players to self-exclude from online gambling establishments. British players register for GamStop’s self-exclusion services and can choose exclusion periods independently. These periods could be 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years. Additionally, GamStop requires all UKGC-licensed gambling businesses to check if their customers are registered on GamStop; therefore, self-excluded.

What is Gamban?

Gamban, on the other hand, is a mobile app that helps players block online gambling on their mobile devices for good. Once downloaded on a mobile device, Gamban services are activated, and all gambling-related websites, online casinos, betting sites, and mobile casinos such as Blaze cannot be accessed from that device. Using the Gamban app is another way of self-restricting from online gaming.

GamStop VS Gamban

The main difference between these two is quite simple and straightforward – GamStop is a self-exclusion scheme, a mandatory part of the UKGC – UK’s gambling governing body. Gamban is an application generally employed to block a mobile device from accessing gambling establishments. The UKGC requires all its licensed operators to be part of GamStop, while Gamban is on itself. It’s neither mandatory nor an essential part of the UKGC, like GamStop.

Another major difference between these two is that GamStop services are completely free, as this scheme is a part of the local regulator. However, since Gamban is a mobile app, its services aren’t free. There’s a 7-day free trial for Gamban, but after that, a user who downloads Gamban on their mobile device should pay a monthly fee (carefully read Gamban’s terms and conditions before deciding to commit).

Finally, one of the biggest similarities between Gamban and GamStop is that GamStop’s services cannot be canceled, just as you can never delete or cancel Gamban from your phone. Once you register yourself for GamStop’s self-exclusion period, you are banned from all UKGC-licensed UK operators, and there’s no way you can cancel your exclusion until the initial period is over. Same with Gamban, if you use Gamban on your mobile device, restricting yourself from accessing online gambling, it would be nothing short of impossible to get out of Gamban’s restrictions.

Conclusion

We’ve stated the major differences between Gamban and GamStop, but the biggest similarity between these two is that they both restrict you from accessing online gambling, which could be a very annoying thing. After all, not everyone’s a gambling addict. Sometimes, players just want to relax and enjoy their time playing their favorite online casino games. Is that so bad? No, it certainly isn’t, and these two self-exclusion schemes definitely interfere with players’ choices and hobbies. Gladly, we know how you could avoid all that, and we are here to help you with that.

Make sure you read our guides “How to avoid GamStop” and “How to avoid Gamban.”