The first half of 2025 saw a notable rise in new and young gambling punters registering themselves on GamStop. Until June, GamStop registered almost 600,000 candidates (since 2018), which is more than 1% of the UK adult population. There was a 19% rise in registrations compared to the first half of 2024. What’s even more striking is that young users from 16 to 24 are signing up in droves, with a 44% increase within this category in 2025.
Yet, alongside this growing uptake, there’s a parallel shift toward non GamStop casinos that operate outside the UK’s self-exclusion scheme. Despite heightened awareness of responsible gambling tools, a significant share of new players are choosing these alternative platforms. Which brings us to ask why users in 2025 are opting out of GamStop?
An Overview of GamStop
GamStop is a free self-exclusion tool centralised by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). Since 2018, it has been allowing UK players to voluntarily exclude themselves from all UKGC-licensed platforms within a single request.
To maximise its reach, the UKGC mandated participation in GamStop for all licensed operations (as of March 2020). This was a broader effort to centralise the service, reduce harm and make GamStop a foundational framework in gambling.
So, Why Are New Users Skipping GamStop in 2025?
Despite the rising registrations at GamStop, it’s still hard to see why new players still want to skip this service. As per several industry reports, nearly 20% of the UK gamers still prefer foreign or non GamStop platforms over local ones. The non GamStop casino segment is estimated to be a £1.5 billion market, signalling growing user engagement.
Here’s what drawing new casino players in the UK away from the self-exclusion system:
- GamStop bans players from all UKGC-licensed sites, making it impossible to return before the exclusion ends naturally. Whereas, non-GamStop platforms let players re-join immediately, without waiting for months or years.
- Players are skipping GamStop and choosing non-GamStop sites, as the latter offers bigger benefits. These sites have larger welcome bonuses, looser wagering terms, and a higher number of games (commonly crossing 3000+). The presence of exotic slots, live dealer games, etc, isn’t generally matched at GamStop.
- Another major reason is the faster, alternative payments. The presence of cryptocurrencies and speedy e-wallets makes transactions easier and quicker. Plus, the minimal ID checks make onboarding and withdrawals quicker, attracting players who value convenience and privacy.
Are New Casino Users Aware of GamStop?
New users in the UK who engage with UKGC-licensed casinos are mostly aware of GamStop’s self-exclusion plan. Since most platforms declare their participation in the scheme, a prominent GamStop logo is seen mostly at the end of the homepage. Plus, casinos also display compliance in their terms, which makes the visibility of this self-exclusion tool slightly hard to miss.
Apart from this, GamStop’s increasing visibility is partly due to its strategic campaigns. The organisation reaches out to universities and football club partnerships, targeting social media messaging during high-profile events like Euro 2024 and more.
However, there remains a section of new users who are yet unaware of GamStop. New casino players, especially those using non-UK-licensed or offshore platforms licensed by Curacao or others, aren’t adequately informed.
What Benefits Do Non-GamStop Users Gain?
What really sets non-GamStop casinos apart is the sheer freedom they offer.
- First off, they grant access to a remarkable variety of games sourced from international providers, so you’re not limited to the familiar titles offered by UKGC-regulated sites.
- Secondly, bonuses and promotions are significantly more generous, with welcome packages, free spins, cashback, and VIP rewards typically far more alluring than what regulated platforms can offer.
- There’s also the advantage of greater privacy and smoother onboarding, often requiring less stringent identity checks and enabling faster, more anonymous registration.
What Are the Trade-Offs or Risks of Skipping GamStop for Non-GamStop Casinos?
Opting out of GamStop to play at Non-GamStop casinos comes with notable drawbacks worth weighing:
- With non-GamStop casinos, you are skipping the regulations of the UK Gambling Commission. This comes at a cost of losing the same standards for fairness, transparency, or user protection.
- Unlike UK-registered sites, not every non-GamStop casino offers mandatory safeguards. When joining these sites, you are likely skipping the benefits of self-exclusion, deposit caps, or reality checks. This can make it even harder to step away when play gets out of control, track your spending in real time, or set firm boundaries before you start.
- With less accountability, some non-GamStop users may delay withdrawals, apply hidden terms and offer subpar customer support. You do skip the long verification process, but at the cost of limited or hard-to-access dispute management.
What Skipping GamStop Means for 2025 and Beyond?
What skipping GamStop means for 2025 and beyond is clear: players are demanding more autonomy and choice, but regulators are responding. With tighter rules, stake limits, and affordability checks already rolling out, offshore platforms might feel even more appealing. Yet, that appeal comes with risk. As reforms intensify, the gulf between flexibility and safety will become a defining tension in the UK’s evolving gambling scene.
