However, the only way that someone is going to finally seek the help and support they need, when in the grips of any type or form of gambling addiction, is when they realise they have a problem, and often that only happens when they reach rock-bottom.
As mentioned on non gamstop sites , By hitting rock-bottom people are often left in great financial difficulty, and can also have suicidal thoughts, and as gambling is often a secret pastime it can be difficult for someone to notice a friend or family member is experiencing problems until it is way too late.
What I am going to be doing in the following article however, is looking at a tool that has been developed that is going to help anybody that has made the decision to give up gambling altogether to negate the possibility of them gambling online or on their mobile device ever again.
Whilst those who do wish to gamble are always going to find ways to do so, by making use of the many different tools and support services available, people really can turn their lives around and curtail their once all-enveloping gambling addictions.
What is Gamstop?
Gamstop offers a free of charge service that anyone can make use of, and by doing so a user of their site simply has to enter a few personal bits of information when registering, which will then see them having their gambling site accounts suspended.
There are a number of casino, poker, bingo and betting sites in the UK that have signed up to Gamstop, and each of them will be passed the details of each user of the Gamstop site, and those gaming site operators will then suspend those users’ gambling accounts.
As such, once fully registered, if someone does have an account at any gambling site signed up to the scheme, they are not going to have access to their online and mobile gambling site accounts.
Those accounts will be suspended for six months, one year or even five years, dependent on just which option has been selected, and any attempt to open new accounts with those sites will see those new accounts also being closed.
Should someone manage to open an account at those gambling sites and gamble with real money, they will not be able to cash out any winnings, and any account balances may be forfeited and not returned to them.
As such, Gamstop is a great service offered to anyone in the UK that does wish to curtail their online gambling activities, and in the very near future the UK Gambling Commission is going to force all of their licensed gambling site operators to sign up to Gamstop.
Gamstop is only part of a gambler’s recovery
Whilst Gamstop is a great service and certainly one that any online problem gambler should be making use of, there is much more to the recovery for a problem gambler than simply signing up to their scheme.
There is always going to be the additional temptation to gamble in a land-based casino, betting shop or amusement arcade for example, and anyone in the grips of a gambling problem needs to look at ways to negate them giving in to temptation of gambling at such a venue.
It is however possible for someone to self-exclude themselves from any land-based gambling venue, and to do so all that is required is to pay for example a betting shop a visit and request a self-exclusion form.
You need to then fill in that form along with any additional requirements, which could include you giving them a photograph of yourself, and you will then be banned from entering that venue again, along with you also being banned for entering any other gambling venue owned by the operator of that venue too.
It may seem like a very bold step, but by self-excluding yourself from as many local gambling venues nearby where you work and/or live you are never going to be allowed to step foot in them again, and that will stop you having the temptation to pay such a venue a visit and gamble within them.
Additional help and support for problem gamblers
One of the hardest decisions a problem gambler can make is to initially seek help and support with their demons, however as soon as they do so it can feel like a huge weight has been lifted off them, and they will often wish they had sought help and support much sooner.
Talking about a gambling problem really can help, however finding someone who will not only listen but can and will be able to offer practical solutions to a gambling problem is important.
That is why it is suggested that if you are reading this article and feel that you really do need to seek help and support for any type of gambling-related problem that you seek support right now.
One website you can visit that will point you in the right direction on how to seek help and support is the GamCare website, however you are going to benefit from seeking face to face support, and that is why I would also suggest you look up your nearest Gamblers Anonymous group.
They have groups in most major towns and cities, not only in the UK but worldwide too, their meetings are held on different says of the week, and anyone that requires help and support with any gambling problems is going to be made very welcome.
Those meetings are run by and are visited by people who have had or still have gambling problems, and as such when attending on of them you are going to be talking to people who know exactly what you are going through, and people who really can help you too.
