Self Exclusion online casino – All you need to know
Online gambling is fun and exciting and millions of people around the world play casino games at online casinos. Ok gambling is fun, but gambling is also one of the many addictions. Drinking, Smoking, Drugs, Eating, Sex and Gambling are things people can get addicted to. Gambling is one of the most problematic addictions in this list. Every year thousands of gamblers are treated because they got addicted while gambling. When you are addicted to gambling it can cost you a lot of money and you could lose friends and family. Online casinos want to attract new players and they want their players to have fun. Reliable online casinos want to prevent a gambling addiction. They offer a self exclusion program or option at their online casino.
On this page I am going to tell you all you need to know about self exclusion and how you can self exclude yourself from one or multiple online casinos.
What is self exclusion?
Self exclusion is a program at online casinos where you can exclude yourself from gambling at that particular casino. There are also self exclusion programs where you can exclude yourself from multiple online casinos. At Gamstop you can exclude yourself from online gambling. When you use a self exclusion program at an online casino you can set different limits or exclusion levels.
Online casinos offer the following self exclude options or gambling limits:
- Self exclusion (months, years)
- Lock your account X days
- Max bet limit per spin/ bet
- Time-out limit
- Deposit limit
- Loss limit
- Wager limit
How does self exclusion work at online casinos?
Once you have an account at a reliable online casino you can decide to exclude yourself for gambling at that casino. reliable online casino have to offer a responsible gambling section. In that section you can set your self-exclusion level. At the majority of online casinos you can choose to exclude yourself for a certain period or forever. Choose a number of months or years. During this period you are not able to open your account on any circumstance. After the self-exclusion period ended you can contact the casino and ask them to lift your exclusion. the casino re-opens your account within 24 hours. These 24 hours are a cooldown period. Within the period you can decide to not re-open your account and stay excluded at the casino.
When you exclude yourself at a certain online casino we recommend you to do this at any other casino you have an account.
You are the only one that can force Self exclusion at an online casino. Make sure you make a wise decision.
Below you see an example how you can exclude yourself for a certain period at Videoslots.com.
When do I need self exclusion?
You have to identify yourself as a problem gambler. There is no set standard or definition for players that need self exclusion. It is called self exclusion because only you can identify when you are gambling more than you feel comfortable with. Only a few players exclude themselves when they feel they play more than they are comfortable with. The majority of players uses self exclusion as their last step. Real problem gamblers and addicted players only think about self exclusion when they lost all their money, burned all their credit cards and after getting in a debt with friends and family. There are also players facing total financial ruin and still they don’t use self exclusion.
It is up to you when you use self exclusion. Other people cannot force you to use this program.
“Use self exclusion when you think you are gambling more than you feel comfortable with. Or when you are using money you need for your daily life”
Set limits before you exclude yourself from online gambling
When you don’t want to become a problem gambler you can set gambling limits at online casinos. Setting limits is the perfect step to prevent a gambling addiction. You can set limits to keep control over your gambling behaviour. Our recommended online casinos all offer a responsible gaming program. Gambling is fun and we want it to stay fun for you. That is why we tell you more about setting gambling limits while you are playing. It is smart to set limits when you have a small budget or when you know you are sensible for addictions. Always set a budget when you start gambling at an online casino. You can set this budget on the website. When you reach the budget the casino freezes your account for a certain period.
In the responsible gambling program you can set a few different limits.
- Max bet limit per spin/ bet
- Time-out limit
- Deposit limit
- Loss limit
- Wager limit
Max Bet limit per spin/ bet
You can set a max bet limit to protect yourself from placing higher amounts per bet or per spin. This is a perfect solution when you like to play Video slots. You can set your max per spin on €2,00. When you win and you want to raise your bet you receive a message and the casino rejects to raise your bet.
Set time-out limit
Gambling can cost a lot of time. Time you normally have to work or time you could spend with your family. Once you start playing casino games you can totally forget time. The games get your full attention and you forget you have other things to do. You can use the time-out limit when you want to set a number of minutes you like to play before game play is interupted. The casino stops the game when you reached the time-out limit.
Deposit limit
You can set a deposit limit at online casinos. You can compare this with a visit to a land-based casino. When you visit a land-based casino you set yourself a budget and you only bring the amount of money you want to lose with you. After you lost this money you stop gambling at the casino. At an online casino you can set this budget in your account (below you see an example). Set a deposit amount during a certain period.
When you reach this limit you receive a message from the casino. You are not able to make any further deposits. This is a perfect solultion for players that have a monthly income and only want to use a share of the money they can miss. These players can set a max deposit amount per month.
Loss limit
You are able to set loss limits at our top rated online casinos. In your account you can set daily, weekly and monthly loss limits. Once you reach the limit you receive a message from the casino. And from that moment you are not able to place any further bets.
Loss limits are based on the total outcome of bets in a certain period. It is your starting balance minus the amounts you bet. When you set a €100 loss limit and you bet with €1.00 per spin your remaining loss limit will decrease with 1,00 per spin. After 1 spin your remaining loss limit is €99. When you win €2 with your next spin your loss limit will increase with €2. In that case your remaining loss limit will be €101.
Wager limit
Set an amount you can wager in a certain period. When you reach the wager limit you receive a message fromm your casino. And it is not possible to continue playing or place further bets.
Wagering is something different than losing money. Not a lot of people use this limit because you can easily wager €1000 while you only lost €10. You can better use the Loss limit option.
Can I exclude friends or family from online gambling?
You want to help when you notice problem gambling or an addiction at a person close to you. Normally you organise an intervention with friends or family and you confront the person. You confront the problem gambler with his or her addiction. Show the person the problems the addiction is causing. Confront him or her with financial problems, lying and other devastation the addiction is causing. This person could qualify for self exclusion.
It would be great if you can use the self exclusion program to exclude this person from gambling at online casinos. However this is not possible because self exclusion programs can only be activated on the initiative of the gambler. If the gambler doesn’t want to participate in the self exclusion program you can not force him or her.
The only thing you can do is ask the gambler to give you all his logins at online casinos. Together with the player you can login to the accounts and activate the self exclusion program.
Is self exclusion an effective way to prevent a gambling addiction?
Self exclusion from an online casino is a good start. There are a few researches that say that the self exclusion program is only a short term solution for problem gambling. There are a lit of alternative betting options for problem gamblers. When you exclude yourself from online gambling you can always visit a land-based casino. Gamblers that excluded themselves from land-based casinos and online casinos can continue betting on sports at local illegal bookmakers. Or they can visit bars and restaurants with gambling machines.
“A person who wants to gamble will always find a way to gamble”
Talking and being honest to friends and family is a way more effective way to prevent problem gambling. They can help you solve your problems and they can look in to your financial situation. Family can take control over your money and bank accounts. If you don’t have any money you are not able to gamble.
How long does self exclusion last?
This is up to you. You can set the self exclusion period in your casino account. At the majority of online casinos the minimum period is 6 months and the maximum period is 5 years. You can also delete your account when you want a permanent exclusion from an online casino.
Is it possible to re-open my account during the exclusion period?
It is not possible to re-open youe account at online casinos when you excluded yourself from gambling at that casino. Before you exclude yourself you can set a period you want to excluded from the casino. The minimum self exclusion period at online casinos is 6 months. After this period you can only re-open your account when you contact the casino. You can request the casino to re-open your account. And even than the casino will not re-open your account instantly. You always have a cooldown period before the casino re-opens your account.
Can I exclude myself at all online casinos?
You can’t exclude yourself from all casinos in one time. When you want to exclude from online gambling we recommend you to activate the self exclusion program at every online casino you have an account. Gamblers from the UK can register an account at BeGambleAware or Gamstop. These programs can help you and exclude you from all online casinos with a UKGC license.
Online casinos can’t prevent gamblers seeking alternative betting options
Gamblers can exclude themselves at online casinos. But this isn’t a guarantee that these players stop gambling. There are a lot of alternative gambling options. An online casino can’t prevent a gambler to visit a local bookmaker or cafe with a slot machine.
Gamblers are good at lying and they will always find a way to fulfill their gambling needs. There are local illegal bookmakers that accept bets by phone, whatsapp or email. Players with a gambling problem can place bets at those bookmakers without paying any money. Every bet is added to their balance. When a player loses a few bets he wants to win the money back and this could lead to a serious debt. At one moment the bookmaker wants his money. What if a gambler doesn’t have the money?
Only gamble at casinos with a self exclusion program
When you want to gamble at an online casino we recommend you to play at casinos with a self exclusion program. In the table below you find 10 reliable online casinos with a self exclusion program. Choose one of these casinos when you want to play responsible.
Latest reviews
Recommended Casinos
