Why Golf Fans Prefer Non-GamStop Gambling in the UK

National Club Golfer
 
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For the most part, golf fans are pretty level-headed folks. They love their golf, but they aren’t prone to showing fanatical support of the sport or any of its star players. What they are prone to do in the UK is place wagers on golf tournaments and their favourite golfers.

For years now, betting on golf tournaments has been commonplace among a wide range of European sports bettors. Very rare does a top golf tournament come up on the schedule and it’s not posted as a top betting market on most of the top online sports betting sites in the UK.

Here are a couple of questions. Where do golf bettors prefer to go to place their online sports/golf wagers? Do they prefer placing wagers with licensed UK online sports betting sites that subscribed to the GamStop self-exclusion scheme, or do they prefer taking their betting action to Independent UK online sports betting sites that prefer avoiding too much government regulation?

The UK Gambling Commission’s Move to Regulate Sports Betting in the UK

Most UK residents would agree that the UK government has an obligation to protect UK residents from outside forces that would do them harm. But what if the harm online gamblers are doing is directed at themselves?

When it comes to gambling addiction, it’s important to remember that any addiction is classified as a disease. Even worse, they are diseases for which there are no cures. Once someone gets hit with a gambling addiction, they will always be a compulsive gambler. Fortunately, the UK government understands that, which is why they put forth efforts to try to protect problem gamblers from themselves.

Recently, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), formed and authorized by Parliament, took two very important steps to protect problem gamblers. First, they passed laws that prohibit the use of credit cards to fund online gambling accounts. Second, they developed the GamStop Self-exclusion program to serve as a level of protection for online problem gamblers who might want help staying away from online gambling sites. But not all golf betting shops participate in the GamStop scheme.

On the face of each law, there appears to be an earnest attempt to protect vulnerable online gamblers. Unfortunately, these attempts at protection seem to have limitations in terms of effectiveness. They also place impositions against the rights of citizens.

Key Details About the GamStop Scheme

Currently, the UKGC mandates that all online gambling operators that are licensed by the UKGC must subscribe to the GamStop program for a subscription fee. Failure to comply with this directive could result in stiff fines and the loss of gambling operator licensing.

Earnest problem gamblers like the GamStop program because registering to be included in the GamStop self-exclusion database is voluntary and free. Also, many gamblers are happy to learn they are the ones who get to decide for themselves how long their self-exclusion period will last.

Unfortunately for registered GamStop gamblers who might have a change of heart, GamStop regulations don’t give them the right to change their minds. They are going to be blocked from accessing GamStop member gambling sites until their self-exclusion period ends. Therein lies the potential violation of a gambler’s rights as a UK resident.

The violation of this right would certainly explain why registering at non GamStop betting sites has become so popular among gamblers, even golf fans, and bettors. There seems to be this ongoing movement among UK gamblers to use gambling sites that tend to protect a gambler’s right to use credit cards to fund gambling accounts or change their minds about GamStop exclusion.

Other Reasons Golf Bettors Prefer Using Non-GamStop Betting Sites

Golfers tend to be sportsmen and better educated. That’s why they tend to be protective of their rights. However, there are other reasons why they like using non-GamStop betting sites.

First and foremost, non-Gamstop betting sites offer bigger bonus offers. They do this as a marketing ploy to draw a very specific group of online gamblers. That would be the GamStop registered gamblers who need a new golf betting home.

Non-GamStop sites also require less information during the account registration process. They want to protect themselves from rogue gamblers with bad intentions, but they prefer not to burden potential new customers with requests for too much personal information.

Finally, the call for less information verification is resulting in online gambling operators needing less time to process banking transactions, especially withdrawals. That’s a big deal for golf fans who prefer to see results sooner rather than later.

Perhaps, the availability of less regulated online sports betting sites helps to explain why crypto betting sites are becoming so popular. Even golf fans are showing a desire to transact with online sportsbooks with their favorite cryptocurrencies.

Remember, it’s near impossible for the UK government to fully regulate the use of and investment in cryptocurrencies. Why? All transactions are recorded on a decentralized digital registry that uses transaction codes and not personal information to identify transacting parties.

Golf fans, football fans, and even rugby fans seem to really embrace the anonymity that using crypto as a means of exchange provides.

Bottom line. Golf fans fancy themselves to be individuals as evidenced by the fact they love a sport for individuals. As individuals, they don’t take kindly to anyone or anything trying to restrict their rights. As long as non-GamStop UK sports betting operators provide fewer restrictions, it’s a “good bet” that golf fans will continue their preference for online bookmakers that choose to avoid subscribing to the GamStop program.