GAMSTOP, the UK’s national self-exclusion scheme, has reported a record-high number of new registrations in 2023. Its report states that the number of new players that signed up in its scheme reached over 92,000, breaking the record from the previous year.
More Than Half Chose the Longest Exclusion Available
The previous record was held in 2022 when the number of new registrations reached 84,000. The report states that 2023 had a 9.5% increase. Moreover, 52% of the people who registered in 2023 chose the five-year gambling exclusion. At the moment, this is the highest exclusion period offered by GAMSTOP.
Fiona Palmer, the CEO of GAMSTOP, stated that the organization continues to see an increase in the number of registrations every year. She noted that the numbers show the “importance of self-exclusion” as these schemes allow them to cope with gambling addiction.
Palmer also stated that GAMSTOP wants to continue raising awareness and that it welcomes everyone to seek out help.
The report by GAMSTOP stated that the number of young people who are signing up increased. In the second half of 2023, the number of registrations by people between 16 and 24 increased by 31% YoY.
Moreover, this specific age group accounted for 21% of the total number of new registrations between June and December 2023. That represents a 17% increase compared to 2022.
Palmer decided to comment on this development. She said that the recent dominance of young adults in the program shows that it is important to educate young consumers. That is why Palmer said that GAMSTOP will continue its “outreach to this age group in 2024.”
Data Shows an Increase In Targeting Risk Customers
Recent data published by Yield Sec revealed an increase in black market operators targeting vulnerable groups in the UK. The research also stated that the number of illegal operators has increased fourfold between 2021 in 2022 and doubled in 2023.
Yield Sec’s research states that illegal operators now make up 4% of the online gambling market in the country. According to the data, these operators were ignoring regular customers. Instead, they were targeting vulnerable groups, predominantly children and players who have self-excluded.
Moreover, Yield Sec found millions of Google searches by January 2024 by people who avoided GAMSTOP. They were simply searching for “not on GAMSTOP” results.
Ismail Vali, the founder and CEO of Yield Sec, noted that the surveillance by the company unveiled a “disturbing and cynical growth” of illegal gambling operators in the UK between 2021 and 2024.
Vali noted that he thinks that the solution is to direct more resources towards illegal gambling prevention. This doesn’t include just money, but also collaboration between legal operators and operators and law enforcement agencies.
Statistics show that the UK is not the only country that is at risk of a rise in illegal gambling. A recent study by the University of Leipzig noted that nearly half of online gambling activities in Germany take place on illegal platforms.
France’s l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux also estimated that the online gambling black market in the country can be worth up to £1.2 billion. Statistics show that that equals more than 10% of the total amount of money wagered in France every year.
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