An independent report on GAMSTOP has noted that of the online self-exclusion scheme’s users, 78% feel the service delivered the results that they were hoping for.
Describing GAMSTOP as an “effective tool for reducing gambling-related harm”, Ipsos‘ research also found that 72% of users feel safer and more in control since registering.
Three key recommendations were also provided by the report on how to improve the self-exclusion service, including a longer or lifetime exclusion period for those who register.
Ipsos conducted an independent evaluation of GAMSTOP by surveying more than 4,650 of the service’s users.
Earlier this month, GAMSTOP said that the research was being completed to analyse its “effectiveness in reducing gambling harm and how it supports its users alongside other forms of gambling prevention and support”.
Of the respondents, 78% said GAMSTOP had delivered the results that they were hoping for, 80% would recommend the service to others and 73% said they were satisfied with the service, with this number rising to 85% amongst those who no longer gamble.
In addition, three out of four respondents said they felt more in control of their gambling behaviours since registering with GAMSTOP.
“GAMSTOP literally did what it said on the tin, it stopped me from being able to register with gambling websites, which was the major issue,” a service user with a five-year exclusion, who no longer gambles, told researchers.
More than 500,000 people have registered with GAMSTOP since its inception in 2018. The service offers options to self-exclude for six months, one year or five years. Users self-excluding for the maximum period were more likely to stop gambling altogether.
As for the most common reasons for registering, the research found that 55% did so to stop online gambling, 55% to regain control over their life and 51% registered to spend less money on gambling. Three out of four users no longer gamble online and 48% no longer gamble at all.
Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, commented: “We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the service through comprehensive independent research, and it is gratifying to know that most of our users feel GAMSTOP has helped them significantly reduce gambling-related harm.”
While many users said GAMSTOP doesn’t eliminate the “urge” to gamble, it offers “a mostly effective physical barrier to online gambling and symbolises a commitment to stop gambling”.
72% of the survey’s respondents said they felt safer from the negative effects of gambling, as GAMSTOP “reduced the short-term financial harms of gambling for individuals, as well as their close friends and family, giving them a sense of financial liberation and improving their mental and physical health”.
Users also said that after registering with the service, they had the “time and disposable income to invest in their health and general mental well-being, easing the isolation and stress caused by concealing their gambling and freeing up time previously spent worrying about gambling”.
76% of the survey’s respondents are in work, with 21% having a household income of £55,000 to £99,000.
Ipsos’ report also outlined three key recommendations for how to improve GAMSTOP:
- Provide the option of a longer or lifetime exclusion period to give greater “peace of mind” for those who use GAMSTOP to stop gambling online altogether.
- Communicate more frequently with users after their minimum exclusion has ended.
- Continue advertising on social media to raise awareness amongst younger audiences.
Palmer added: “Six out of ten users who were surveyed said they rely on GAMSTOP as their sole means of support, and we are aware of the responsibility that this brings with it.
“We will study the recommendations in detail, including the suggestion of extending self-exclusion periods, although exclusion periods do already continue automatically for seven years unless a user asks for it be lifted.”
The report also asked the UK’s government, Gambling Commission and other stakeholders to address the illegal gambling market via greater regulation and the imposition of restrictions on its promotion through social media, with users raising concerns about illegal operators who use targeted advertising of websites claiming to be “not on GAMSTOP”.
Last week, the Betting and Gaming Council called for “balanced regulations and stable taxation” to combat the illegal gambling market, after a report estimated that 1.5 million members of the British public wager almost £4.3bn on the illegal market every year.
Ipsos’ research noted that GAMSTOP “remains an effective blocking mechanism for licensed UK online gambling operators, but some users have engaged with unlicensed gambling operators since registering with GAMSTOP”, adding that “wider regulation of advertising would improve the recovery of GAMSTOP users”.
The report concluded: “The evaluation has established that GAMSTOP is an effective tool for reducing gambling-related harm for individuals seeking to exclude themselves from online gambling operators…
“The service provided is widely considered both satisfactory and impactful. This is most significant for individuals with a sustained commitment to reducing their gambling behaviours, seeking a lifestyle change rather than a break.
“Our evaluation found that satisfaction with GAMSTOP is high for the majority of people who use the service. This includes registration and the overall experience of having the self-exclusion in place. The majority of people also found that GAMSTOP delivered against their expectations and that they would recommend it to others.”