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In the world of online entertainment, the boundaries of what is possible and acceptable are constantly being redrawn due to new concerns and threats around online activity. The digital world is vast and infinite and due to the rapid strides made in technology and improved accessibility, online dwellers take more responsibility on their shoulders in the way their behave and operate in the online realm.
As a result, certain forms of popular online entertainment that have emerged into the mainstream in recent years in the UK have come under greater scrutiny. One of those avenues is online casino play, which has been in operation since 1994 and an industry in which the UK is one of the leading markets. However, online casino enthusiasts in the UK have recently been looking to other markets and their offerings as a result of a changing of the online casino landscape that has had a significant knock-on effect on how players interact with online casino platforms.
More Overseas Options
Due to initiatives introduced in the last six years, the number of options in a few key domains that make up an online casino experience have been reduced, in the governments and UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) mind, for the benefit of player’s health and wellbeing.
On 14th April 2020, credit cards were banned as a form of payment method to make deposits or withdrawals. This was implemented based on the threat of insurmountable amounts of debt being racked up on a credit card to fund online casino play. Beyond the online cashier’s desk, game play was also restricted after bonus buy games were banned in 2019. This eliminated hundreds of online slots titles from the section.
Because of these two examples, UK-based online casino players have migrated slowly to non-UK casinos to explore the full offerings and options. In the current era, more players are becoming aware of and using cryptocurrency in everyday life, including on online casinos and cryptocurrency is another topic that the UKGC is unsure about and applying greater regulation to. Not such a problem on overseas markets that are perhaps not as advanced as the UK and have not entertained these discussions yet.
Avoid the Red Tape
Following on from the ban on credit cards on online casino platforms and bonus buy games, the UKGC ramped up their drive to protect the playing population by introducing wagering limits on online slots games on UK-licensed platforms as well as “invisible” financial background checks for players that incurred a certain monthly loss. Although many players were understanding of the need to protect players from themselves, there were dissenters, unhappy at the impingement on spending freedoms and potentially invasive checks on sensitive financial information.
And once again, some players found the solution in international online casinos. With much less red tape, players were able to enjoy the full freedoms, at a greater risk, however. Although the number of UK-based players wandering through the virtual doors of overseas online casinos has risen, the high levels of security integrated into every UK-licensed online casino is not guaranteed in other markets.
Spoiled for Choice
Nevertheless, a handful of players are “travelling” to international online casinos for their game play. The explosion of the digital evolution has presented people worldwide with a much greater number of options and the ability to use tech such as VPNs is one of the main reasons UK-based online casino players are leaving the digital UK shores to explore other markets.
- B.E. Delmer, Gambling911.com
