Nigeria’s Gaming Industry And The Need For Self-Exclusion Mechanisms: Insights From GamStop

 

Nigeria is one of the leading countries on the African continent where the iGaming industry has achieved incredible popularity.

Some of the main reasons for this are a large and young population, the expansion of access to the Internet among people, and an increase in the number of modern gadgets using which you can play online. In addition, local gaming enterprises are actively pursuing partnerships with foreign iGaming content providers.

For example, Gameloft, Intralot, and Sirplay are definitely worth mentioning. They bring a significant influx to the country’s budget. According to statistics, in 2022, the total revenue of the iGaming market was about US$0.54m. Considering the current annual growth trend (about 8.97%), this market will experience an increase in volumes of up to US$0.86m in 2027.

The Role of Self-Exclusion Mechanisms

 

Rapid access to iGaming is often not comparable with a similar development of basic Responsible Gaming rules awareness. As a result, this can lead to both financial, social, and psychological problems. In this sense, the self-excluding schemes are one of the perfect solutions.

With their help, it is possible to create a physical barrier between the player and the gaming site as well as limit the appearance of triggers (for example, pop-up advertisements dedicated to iGaming). Although this approach may seem a bit harsh, modern self-exclusion services are quite flexible and user-friendly. For example, they allow you to choose between available self-exclusion periods.

GamStop Self-Exclusion: How Does it Work?

GamStop is definitely one of the most popular self-exclusion programs available online. It is a completely free-of-charge service you may participate in for a couple of minutes. GamStop works exclusively towards gaming sites which have a UKGC license.

Although they are quite popular, there are also sites not on GamStop located overseas, which you can register on even after enrolling in the GamStop program. However, these casinos have self-exclusion tools too. Bradley Oliva and Jack Reeve, the authors of the CasinoGap portal, write about restrictions at operators not on GamStop in this way: “These gaming sites rely on internal self-exclusion tools, unlike UKGC-licensed brands, which offer external tools.”

To register on the GamStop, you must take the following steps.

1. Head to the GamStop official website and click on the “Register” button.
2. Provide your email address and click “Start”.
3. After email verification, specify as many details about yourself as possible (date of birth, phone number, current address, and postcode).
4. Now, you should wait up to 24 hours until info about you is sent to all eligible gaming sites. The program offers 3 self-exclusion terms: 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.

After you are added to the GamStop database, you can not register on sites or even log into already created accounts of gaming sites that support the program. That is why you must withdraw money from your balance until registering on GamStop

Along with a physical barrier, GamStop offers links to useful services that help you complete rehabilitation. They are located in the “More Support” tab and are united into several categories: Emotional Support, Practical Controls, Debt Support, and Family Support.

Worth mentioning that in Australia, gambling authorities are ready to test the BetStop self-exclusion tool – a platform similar to GamStop, which covers around 150 platforms.

Does Nigeria Need Tools like GamStop to Increase Responsible Gaming Habits?

Since GamStop is exclusively available to UK-based sites, Nigerian users cannot access it. Moreover, sites are prohibited from participating in any self-excluding initiatives.

Because of the absence of GamStop in Nigeria, there are many alternative self-exclusion options for players. Among them, the most popular are NetNanny, GamBan, and BetFilter. They are available for Nigerian players of any age, social status, or gender. They have proprietary databases of gaming sites that are constantly updated and allow you to block gaming content on almost any device.

Some of them contain additional features like Parental Control for better filtering of adult content and scheduling options. Thanks to the latter, you may choose the period you are ready to spend playing without negative consequences for your job, relations, and more. There are tools (for example, BetBlocker) which are free of charge, which is also a serious advantage.

Conclusion

The Nigerian iGaming market is developing rapidly, and the number of active players constantly increases. Along with growing access to games, the dangers associated with non-compliance with Responsible Gaming rules are also increasing.

Currently, one of the most optimal solutions to this problem is GamStop, which creates a barrier between players and gaming sites. However, this tool is only available for UK-based sites with UKGS licenses. Due to this, Nigerian users cannot use this solution and are looking for similar tools. Currently, the market for self-exclusion services is also actively developing, and tools such as NetNanny, BetFilter, BetBlocker, or GamBan are now available worldwide.

In addition to directly restricting access to gaming sites, they offer additional options for filtering blocked content, Parental Control, scheduling options, and more. Players may choose from web-based options as well as dedicated applications that can be installed on almost any device and protect them wherever they are on the go.