‘Sky Vegas fined £1.2m for advertising to recovering addicts.’
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When it comes to choosing an online casino to play at in the United Kingdom, there are a ton of different things to be aware of, but potentially none so important as to whether the casino is regulated and licensed correctly – hence the importance of noting whether you are selecting a Gamstop Casino.
There are several major flags to look out for when joining a new online casino site that can help you discover whether you are about to get burned, or whether you are choosing a website that is not only safe, but also backed by the UKGC and Gamstop to ensure that you are not being misled. Below are just a few of the warning signs to look out for when it comes to choosing a UK online casino.
Is it Regulated by the UKGC ?
While Gamstop Casinos do not inherently need to be registered with the UK Gambling Commission, in order to have their license approved, almost all of them are. At the footer (bottom) of most legislated gambling websites in the UK, you will be able to find both the license number of the website or managing party and whether it is affiliated with Gamstop, GambleAware or other protective bodies.
Does it have Deposit Protection in Place?
In April 2020, all UK Casino sites were told to ban deposits from credit cards as part of the safer gambling act. Any casino that is still accepting this as a deposit method, is almost certainly not registered with Gamstop or operating within the terms of their license (if they even have one). You will also see PayPal as a deposit method at many legitimate online casino sites, which in itself can be a good indicator as to whether the site is compliant (since PayPal is notorious for working with only legitimate sites).
Privacy Policy + Customer Service
Gamstop Casinos will almost always offer a dedicated customer service support team and have their privacy policy and all bonus terms and conditions featured prominently on their site. This is because they are held accountable for any manipulations of their games and also that they are never in breach of their UKGC licensing terms. All of the websites that we promote are safe to play at and you will find that they offer both their license number and privacy/T’s & C’s prominently on their sites.
More than just a Site
One of the many benefits of Gamstop casino sites is that they operate in tandem with each other to ensure they work against problem gambling and protect those that are vulnerable to it. When a person or player submits their details to Gamstop to register themselves as a potential risk, all casinos who are party to this binding agreement are effectively informed that they are not to allow any sign up, deposits or actions by said player without being in breach of the law. Large fines await any company who do not vehemently adhere to this – hence our opening statements about real world fines issued in the last 6 months.
So there you have it, not a comprehensive list of why you should only choose gamstop casinos but certainly enough to put you on the right track. Be sure to contact any customer services where you feel that you have further questions to ask and always use trusted websites like SmashCasinos to help you locate only the most legitimate and best online casinos around.