In the United Kingdom, players benefit from the GamStop self-exclusion program, which effectively regulates online gambling. Every gambling operating in the country is required to obtain a permit, ensuring eligibility to provide gaming services to players nationwide. In contrast, Portugal lacks any comparable self-exclusion initiatives like GamStop.
Understanding GamStop and its alternatives
GamStop is a self-exclusion program. It works simply. As a player, you can create an account at the official website and choose how long he wants to keep himself away from gambling. This starts at 6 months but you can choose 1 or 5 years if you want the ban to last longer. During that time, you are not allowed to play games at UKGC gambling sites. There is no way you can bypass the self-exclusion and there is no way you can gamble while it lasts. However, some betting sites when self excluded programs might provide an alternative. On the other hand, this opens up the opportunity to explore casinos or bookmakers not under UK jurisdiction as alternatives.
We must add that using GamStop is completely free and you can use it for as long as possible. There are no hidden fees or anything similar. You can prolong the ban whenever you like, even while the first option you have made is still active.
Keep in mind that GamStop is mandatory to use by all casinos and betting sites that have UKGC licenses. The ones that don’t have the license are not obligated to use it. They cannot offer this program. However, there are still many betting sites without Gamstop in the UK, and the only way to block access to them is by using gambling blockers and internal responsible gambling tools.
This simply means that players from Portugal cannot use GamStop. Luckily, they have equally effective alternatives and we will explain these below. The goal of these alternatives is the same as GamStop. You will be unable to gamble for a specific period until you solve your gambling addiction issues. Yes, this method is effective and it can be more than just appealing to all players.
Gamban
Gamban has been a common choice for Portuguese players and the one that works well. This is software so you will have to do one thing. You have to install it on the device you have been using for gambling. Yes, you can install it on a smartphone, tablet, PC, or anything else. That means that the software is compatible with Android, iOS, Microsoft, Mac, and even Linux. Once you are done, the software will block access to all gambling and betting sites. It is very easy to use and once you have created your account, you can use it for as long as you want.
Gamban is even recommended and explained at many online betting sites. You can see some of the details at the footer of the page. It is not a free method so you will have to pay for a subscription if you want to use it. On the other hand, it has been very effective since 2015 and it has numerous rewards.
BetBlocker
If you want another GamStop alternative, you can have it. The name here is BetBlocker and it is a very desirable method. This method is free which can be a huge advantage for some players. All you have to do is to get the app and install it on your phone. There is no need to create an account, which is great. All of this will take 2 minutes of your time and you can be free from online betting as long as you like.
There are over 83.000 sites blocked. The app here blocked over 1500 other apps for gambling and is used over 7000 times or better said on this many devices. The app works with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire OS, and even on Huawei phones. It is easy to configure and once done you can start using it. When you are feeling better and when you don’t have to worry about gambling addiction anymore or some other problems of this kind, remove the app and continue playing.
NetNanny
Net Nanny is probably the oldest app of this kind. It has been with us since 1993 and you can use it on any device you like these days. The app started its life as a way to get parental control and spare your kids from adult websites, gambling etc. In the 2000s it got a massive update that made the app ideal for players who want to get help and distance themselves from online gambling.
Now you can use the app to block all the betting sites online and also gambling ads. What this means is that you can install the app and don’t worry about gambling. There are additional features as well, such as alerts, notifications, screen time management and so much more.
Conclusion
Portuguese players are unable to use GamStop. We don’t know when or if this is going to change. But, we do know that they can use alternatives or apps from this list to get the same thing. The main mission here is to distance yourself from online gambling and have time to recover from gambling addiction. It works well and it is something that you need to consider. Just pick the method you like the most.
