Table Of Contents

List of betting sites not covered by Gamstop
Sports Betting – a Brief History
Early and Pre-History
Modern History
Online Sports Betting
New Sports Betting Markets
Sports Betting Today
Which sports do UK punters prefer?
Sports Betting not on Gamstop – advantages and disadvantages
How to choose gambling sites not covered by gamstop
Summary

List of UK sports betting sites, not on GAMSTOP.

The gambling industry is a major revenue generator for the UK economy. It is also one of the most controversial, with regulations being constantly reviewed and regularly updated. This constant churn reflects political trends and the most current public opinion on industry practices and the spending habits and patterns of the nation’s gamblers.

The government body responsible for regulating the industry in the United Kingdom is the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). It publishes annual figures on revenues generated by all kinds of gambling. The last year for which full figures are available at the time of writing is 2019, and these show that total gambling revenue for the entire industry in the United Kingdom that year was around £15 billion.

Sports Betting constitutes more than a third of total gambling revenues. Let’s take a look at how this massive industry grew to the position it occupies today by exploring its origins, formation and phenomenal growth.

List of betting sites not covered by Gamstop

Sports Betting – a Brief History

Early and Pre-History

It could be argued that the pastime of gambling is a fundamental part of human nature. Some anthropologists would argue that even the earliest humans loved to make a bet. Of course, pre-historic cavemen couldn’t pop down to their local bookies for a flutter. Nor could cavewomen watch woolly mammoth racing on their mobile apps.

Yet it seems entirely plausible that ancient humans would bet amongst each other on who was the fastest or strongest. The prize could have been first dibs on the sabre-tooth tiger meat, or maybe the right to skip the next campfire night watch duty. The argument against these imagined scenes being commonplace becomes more about the definition of sport, rather than whether betting took place.

As human development continued, we progressed from cave painting to symbol and pictorial languages like cuneiform and then the alphabet-based written languages used by us ‘modern’ humans. This written history enables us to tell how bygone civilisations lived, rather than have to rely on imagination or guesswork. Much ancient mythology includes tales of basic gambling such as the drawing of lots (hence the modern term ‘lottery’). Of course, mythology is not history, it is fiction: either as stories or fables intended to illustrate a wider truth. But the point is they are all written by humans, who were familiar with the ideas of gaming and gambling.

As human technology and civilisation improved, the detailed evidence of betting and gaming becomes clearer. The earliest dice can be dated from well before recorded history, with specially carved bones commonly regarded as being the earliest evidence for such objects. Bone and clay dice have been excavated from sites dating from thousands of years BC. Evidence of the rules of actual games can also be dated from numerous different and seemingly unrelated civilisations such as those of the Egyptians, and in India and Greece.

The Greeks are also the acclaimed inventors of the Olympic Games. The true origin of these contests is lost in the mists of time. Their foundation story is a confusing mixture of myth and legend, but there are historical records to show that some kind of organised sporting contests took place from around 800 BC, only declining when the nearby Roman Empire became the predominant influence on Greek culture.

The Romans were also famously keen on their sports. The stars of the era were without a doubt the heroic and iconic gladiators, who filled the massive Colosseum and other stadium-sized amphitheatres of the time. Horse and chariot races and other sporting contests were also very popular. Betting on the outcome of these events was rife, often between individual nobles of the time. Indeed, gambling became a bit of a problem within the Roman Empire, with Emperor Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD) even introducing restrictions on such activities. Needless to say, any resulting punishments did not apply to the ruler himself, nor any of his noble entourage.

Moving into more recent times, the so-called Dark Ages saw a variety of sports which would be frowned upon today. Blood sports such as hare coursing and cock fighting have an ancient origin, long pre-dating the medieval and Tudor eras we tend to link them with. It is difficult to believe that spectators in those far-off days didn’t have cheeky little wagers on the outcome of such contests.

Such pursuits would have been common in rural areas, where illicit contests are reputed to take place to this day. Today, fox hunting remains an Establishment pursuit, although there is not much point in betting on the inevitable outcome. In the growing urban areas of the Industrial revolution, sports tended to be between humans, with bare-knuckle boxing, in particular, being popular in many of the less salubrious taverns of the time. Doubtless a few shillings, florins and farthings were wagered on the outcome, along with the consumption of numerous flagons of beer.

Modern History

In fact, it is these examples of mass spectator sports which give a good indication of the path ahead in the development of organised betting. Medieval peasant and early industrial working-class pursuits such as those described above would have primarily involved simple wagers between individual spectators. These bets would without doubt meet the definition of ‘gambling’ on an outcome, but do not meet the criteria of the organised business of gambling which we regard as sports betting today.

The idea of there being a centralised ‘bookmaker’, who would decide and sell bets based on the predicted likelihood of the result, or ‘odds’ on a particular outcome, is a particularly recent development. Organised betting in times gone by was frowned upon by the Government and Establishment of the day and was illegal.

That was until the Establishment itself decided that gambling was a reputable pursuit after all. Fox hunting is the epitome of an Establishment and Upper-Class pursuit, although needless to say it involved a full infrastructure of servants and followers required to breed, feed and train the hounds and horses.

And it was that other ‘Sport of Kings’ – horse racing, which really helped to bring organised sports betting to the masses and popularise it in local communities across the land. In the UK, we know that organised horse racing in the UK dates back to early medieval times. In fact, it probably existed in some form throughout the Dark Ages too, having been introduced to the country by the invading Romans centuries before. The legendary Knights of old were famously depicted as courageous and skilful horsemen and would surely have competed in more than just the jousting contests they are renowned for.

The reason why the ‘Dark Ages’ are so called is that there are very few actual written accounts of the era, so we have to rely on fables and legends to tell the story. Again, although there is no documentary backup for these tales, they are clearly told and eventually written down by humans, so it is not unreasonable to conclude that there is at least some basis of truth in them.

It was not until the Normans arrived from France in 1066 that historical records became more reliable. It seems clear from these that the newly installed French monarchy and their noble entourage were also keen on equestrian sports. Certainly from the 12th Century, there are reliable accounts of royal race meetings, and the Kings of the era are known to have maintained a royal stud throughout the period.

The Tudor era was also famous for its royal equestrian preoccupation. Henry VIII was a keen horseman. Indeed it is suspected that his late-life weight gain was largely a result of an injury he received whilst jousting. The injury and resulting reduced mobility are suspected to have been a major contributing cause of his late-life obesity.

Formal race meetings were held throughout the 16th Century, but things really took off with the reign of James II, who became somewhat preoccupied with his new horse racing operation in Newmarket. The sleepy Cambridgeshire town has been a major centre of horse racing in the UK ever since, with the first recorded race taking place there in 1626.

There seems little doubt though that the area was a centre for equestrian breeding and activity long before the new monarch took an interest. Nevertheless, James II’s money and influence gave horse-related activities in the region a further boost. This resulted in the formal foundation of the Newmarket racecourse in 1636.

By the 18th Century, there were over a hundred different race courses holding meetings at some point during the year, with betting taking place at every one of them. Needless to say, the authorities of the time took a dim view of this ‘immoral’ activity, and a variety of rules and restrictions were introduced in an attempt to control this illicit behaviour. The 1739 Gaming Act was just the start of consistent government attempts to legislate to reduce gambling in sports.

As ever, this had limited impact. Such rules only ever apply to the poor. The aristocratic owners and well-connected wealthy could carry on much as before, while poorer followers’ betting behaviour was simply driven underground, continuing out of sight of the authorities.

These perennial issues led successive governments to attempt to regulate betting rather than ban it entirely. This had the added advantage that the authorities could then tax gambling and thereby use it to raise additional revenue. The Jockey Club was formed in 1750 in an attempt to bring the entire horse racing industry under some kind of central control.

But another perhaps unforeseen consequence of increasing regulation is that it enabled formal ‘bookmaking’ operations to begin and thrive. The more reliable and consistent organisation of horse racing meant that it was easier for wily entrepreneurs to formalise their operations, offering actual ‘odds’ for races, rather than simply acting as the go-between between individual punters, or simply offering payouts on each race winner.

This meant that successive governments tended to see-saw between outright bans and more liberal regulation. The 1845 Gambling Act attempted to ban wagering once again, resulting in more illicit underground betting until the inevitable reversal toward regulation, at which point the whole cycle would begin again.

The early 20th Century saw the arrival of some names which will be very familiar to punters today. Major contemporary brands like William Hill and Coral have their roots in illegal bookmaking activities which grew up in the harsh legislative environment in the World War One era. Betting had been effectively banned again, this time by the 1906 Street Betting Act. Eventually, the pendulum swung once again, and as legislation on gambling was gradually re-liberalised, these brands were able to edge toward becoming semi-legitimate.

This process of gradual liberalisation was encouraged by the UK government, which set up its state-controlled bookmaking operation. The 1928 Racecourse Betting Act resulted in the formation of the Racehorse Betting Control Board, which eventually became better known as the Tote. The Tote became one of the predominant ways to bet on horse and greyhound racing for the remainder of the 20th Century.

Gambling in the 20th Century wasn’t all about horse racing either. Football was also a valid option for punters looking for a cheeky flutter. What’s more, it could be done legally too. Even before betting was fully liberalised in the UK, gambling on football was allowed via the unique British invention of the Football Pools.

First introduced in 1923, it escaped the then-current gambling laws by being regarded as a game of skill, rather than luck. This ‘skill’ involved carefully calculating and predicting which games in the professional Football League would end in scoring draws. As anyone who has ever tried to do this for real knows, this is without doubt really a guessing game, but loopholes are loopholes. Stakes were also really low (a matter of pennies), so it was regarded by the authorities as a low-risk, fun game which the working classes could safely be permitted to enjoy.

Littlewoods, Vernons and Zetters were the biggest names in Football Pools. Prizes could be considerable, with big jackpots for punters fortunate to be the only player to predict their score draws correctly when there were few other draws on the ‘coupon’. There were big money payouts most weeks, with the first-ever million-pound prize arriving in 1986, to considerable media fanfare.

Sadly, this quirky British eccentricity began to fade toward the end of the 20th Century, replaced in the nation’s affection by the National Lottery. The Football Pools still exist today, but few take part, way fewer than the millions who avidly awaited the classified football results, read by James Alexander Gordon at their regular time of 5 pm on a winter Saturday afternoon.

Following the conclusion of World War Two, sports betting fans could begin to make their wagers legally, and not just on football. This opportunity arose as previously illegal betting operators were offered the chance to apply for an official government licence. By 1960, rules were relaxed still further, with such organisations being permitted to open betting shops in towns and cities across the nation. This resulted in the gradual spread of the familiar high street brands which we are now accustomed to seeing in every town centre in the country.

Since the initial retail explosion of the 1960s, traditional brands like Coral, William Hill and Ladbrokes have been joined by more contemporary successors like Betfred and Paddy Power. Indeed, Betfred is the current owner of the Tote, having acquired it from the government for close to £300 million in 2011.

However, with the unusual and unique exception of the Football Pools, it was still horse racing which was the major revenue earner for the UK gambling industry during the post-war period. It had been able to continue largely because it had always retained its link with the Establishment, with racehorse breeding and ownership continuing to be predominantly an interest for the aristocracy, well-to-do and governing classes. The Queen has continued in the royal tradition by being a major racehorse owner and has retained an intense interest in the sport. Her attendance at the annual Windsor race meeting is a crucial event in British high society’s social calendar.

The same is true throughout the world, with Arabian oil sheikhs and other powerful and wealthy Establishment figures also keen on their equestrian interests. The ‘Sport of Kings’ is indeed reliant on aristocratic finance. Dubai’s Sheik Mohammed’s riches and his Godolphin racehorse stable operation are largely responsible for keeping the current UK racing industry afloat.

Of course, whilst it is the wealthy and the world’s rulers who own the industry, it is the peasants, workers and other hoi polloi who are most likely to take part in any wagering and betting resulting from the horse racing industry. Massive meetings like the Cheltenham Festival are immensely popular, but whilst some dedicated punters may go so far as to own a part share in an expensive thoroughbred, most restrict themselves to a regular flutter on the 3.15 at Kempton or the two o’clock at Haydock.

Online Sports Betting

The most revolutionary development in the sports betting industry in recent times has been the advent of online betting. This new way to bet on sports has totally transformed gambling on sports, including traditional horse racing and all other aspects of sports betting.

The very first online sports betting operations began in the mid-1990s. As is often the case with industry-disrupting emerging technologies, it was newly created brands rather than established names who were first to introduce their services to the market. Two of these fresh names are now established giants in online sports betting – Bet365 and Unibet. The more established high-street brands like Ladbrokes and William Hill soon followed.

New entrants to markets tend to have another advantage in addition to their being first. This is because established brands tend to be more cautious, so as not to risk damaging the business models of their existing real-world betting shops. Brand new services like Bet365 have no existing high street revenues to protect, nor any of the rent and rate costs of the existing giants. This means that they can be more adventurous, in the full knowledge that much of the business they generate will be taken from their competitors.

Of course, a completely new service also creates completely new revenues, perhaps from people who were reluctant to venture into a high street bookmaker’s premises, which at the time still had a somewhat seedy, smoke-ridden, male-dominated image.

The new online industry was somewhat slow to take off initially. The internet itself was still in its relative infancy, and it took quite a while for the majority of homes and consumers to actually be able to access the internet via their home computers. Internet speeds were also slow back in the days of the dial-up modem before faster broadband and Wi-Fi technologies emerged. This meant that even by the turn of the century, less than 1% of bets were wagered online, with the overwhelming majority still being placed in the conventional way over high street counters.

Improving technology, more widespread consumer use and faster download speeds meant that the take up of online sports betting improved exponentially over the early years of the 21st Century. This process was aided still further by the advent of the smartphone and mobile connectivity, which meant the mobile phone and the tablet became the focus of internet access, replacing the old-school desktop PC and Mac. This meant that by the mid-2010s, online sports betting overtook high-street bookmakers’ revenues for the first time.

New Sports Betting Markets

The increase in popularity of sports betting online hasn’t simply been a matter of replacing old-school high street betting. It has also created completely new markets and introduced novel and alternative ways to bet.

The advent of superfast broadband and mobile technology has led to a massive increase in live betting. The closest thing to live betting using your high street bookie used to be placing a bet at the counter just before watching a race. Now you can wager from the comfort of your armchair whilst watching a sporting event.

What’s more, the variety of bets which can be placed has also massively increased. Whereas before, only the final score, or perhaps the first goal scorer could be predicted, now football fans can wager on the number of corners, free kicks, total goals scored and numerous other criteria, and also on any number of combinations.

Another innovation is the ability to ‘cash out’ – in other words, to ‘quit while you’re ahead’. If, for example, you predict a 2 – 0 win to United and they’re 2 – 0 up after 80 minutes, things are looking good. But if City is on the attack and looks like they could score at any minute, cashing out is now a viable option which simply wasn’t available to previous generations of punters. A few innovative sports betting sites are even beginning to offer this facility on horse racing too, which could lead to a massive change in the habits of punters across the land.

Of course, cashing out early has disadvantages too. You have to forgo some of the winnings you would have won if you had held on, but it’s worth it if, in our earlier example, City scores. In short, it is a way for punters to ‘hedge their bets’, although it is worth remembering that it is also a way for bookmakers to cut their losses.

Betting exchanges are another innovation which the advent of online sports betting has enabled. Originally founded at the turn of the century, Betfair is the most famous example of this. In effect, it enables punters to bet directly with other like-minded people, cutting out the bookmaker altogether. By avoiding the ‘middle man’, and therefore not having to pay the bookmaker’s profit margin, it is technically possible to get better odds.

Of course, there are still some costs involved, but instead of your odds being artificially reduced by the bookies’ margin, punters pay a commission to the exchange, much as you would pay a commission to an estate agent when buying a house, or to a stockbroker when buying shares.

Talking of shares and the stock market, another sports betting innovation has been the introduction of spread betting. This is a high-risk method of gambling which is not to be undertaken lightly. It differs from conventional betting because, with a standard bet, the most you can lose is your stake. With spread betting, you are betting on the accuracy of your prediction rather than on a simple odds-based win / lose basis. Your winnings can therefore be far higher, but your losses could be unlimited too.

Spread betting is a method derived from the stock market and share dealing, where it is an established business method most famously used by hedge funds. For this reason, in the United Kingdom, it is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and not the Gambling Commission (UKGC).

An indication as to how risky this kind of betting is can be seen from the collapse of another specialised form of sports betting, the Football Index. Whilst this was not a spread betting operation as such, it involved punters buying ‘shares’ in players, whose value rose or fell according to actual performance on the pitch and social media. Its licence to operate was suspended in March 2021 by the FCA, pending an investigation into its activities. At the time of writing, it is unclear what is likely to happen to ‘investors’ funds. What is clear is that this blurring between ‘investment’ and ‘gambling’ is a grey area fraught with increased risk for punters.

Sports Betting Today

The advent of online sports betting has massively increased the size and reach of the sports betting industry. Today, sports betting is one of the main sectors of the UK gambling industry, contributing more than a third of the gambling industry’s total revenues (35%). It is the largest single sector by revenue volume, with casino gaming, ranked second (30%) and lotteries third (26%). The National Lottery represents almost a quarter of all UK consumer gambling revenue on its own. Bingo contributes around 5% with the remainder belonging to amusement arcades and other real-world machine gaming, such as in pubs and clubs.

Sports betting can then be subdivided into land-based wagering at high street bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, Coral, Paddy Power and William Hill; and online sports betting (which the UKGC refers to as ‘remote betting’). High street sports betting generated around £3 billion in 2019 (20%), with online sports betting representing over £2 billion (15%).

Spending on sports betting continues to rise. The early months of 2020 show a remarkable continuation of this trend. This period saw the UK and indeed much of the planet locked down by measures intended to restrict the spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The enforced social isolation and resulting lack of alternative pursuits affected consumer behaviour in many ways, not least by increasing spending on betting. High Street bookmakers’ outlets may have been closed for lengthy periods, but online betting is always available 24 hours a day. This has resulted in a steady rise in UK estimated monthly sports betting revenues. This trend has been continuous in recent months. Rising from less than £l00 million in March 2019, revenues almost doubled by March the following year and had reached close to £300 million in January 2021.

These figures aren’t all good news for gambling bosses though. The increase in revenues and perceived greater vulnerability of their customers has led to calls for further tightening of gambling rules and regulations. The UKGC is actively considering this as part of its long-term review of the industry. Its review of the 2005 Gambling Act began toward the end of 2020 and is expected to report imminently at the time of writing. It seems certain that the seemingly eternal pendulum is about to swing back in the direction of stricter regulation.

The big gambling companies’ stock market values and share prices have been under severe pressure as a result of this uncertain regulatory climate. Indeed, many UK-based gambling businesses are therefore looking to diversify and expand their overseas operations to try to shore up their future revenues.

Which sports do UK punters prefer?

For sports betting fans, football is by far the most popular sport. Football generates almost half of all sports betting revenues in the UK, according to the latest figures issued by the UKGC. In a sense, this is not surprising. The round ball game is far and away the most popular sport in the UK. Although keen anglers are eager to point out that fishing is the nation’s most popular participant sport, it is not as attractive as a spectator sport, with few people betting on any kind of angling outcome.

The second most popular sport for sports betting punters is horse racing. Together, football and horse racing amount to more than three quarters (76.4%) of all UK online sports betting revenues in the year to March 2020 (UKGC figures). The most popular other sports include tennis (5%) and cricket (2%), with golf and snooker also significant contributors.

Sports Betting not on Gamstop – advantages and disadvantages

Most online sports betting which takes place in the United Kingdom is under the regulatory control of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). It is possible though, to place bets online with sports betting sites which are regulated elsewhere.

From a typical UK-based player’s point of view, there are some clear advantages to be gained by doing this. The primary reason for many UK-based players to choose non-UKGC regulated sports betting portals is that such sites do not need to be Gamstop compliant. You can find out more about the history and purpose of GAMSTOP, and why some players may prefer to avoid sites on GAMSTOP on our homepage.

The important thing to remember is that if you are registered with Gamstop, have self-excluded or have any kind of gambling problem, then we certainly do not recommend any of these alternative sites. If you are tempted, seek further advice and professional help. Always remember, when the fun stops, stop.

There are several valid advantages for choosing to wager with a non-UKGC licenced site. One huge plus is the reduced bureaucracy. Non-UKGC registered businesses may not require the time-consuming identity checks demanded by the UK government. These checks are known as ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC), and not having to comply with these can make the whole registration process much smoother, and also enable the payout of your winnings to be made much more quickly and efficiently.

Another possible plus is that many foreign-based bookmakers not on gamstop still allow credit card payments. These are no longer allowed on UKGC-regulated sports betting and other gambling sites.

The range of sports it is possible to bet on can also be far wider on overseas registered betting portals. Just as UK-registered sites are likely to offer lots of opportunities to bet on popular local sports like cricket and rugby league, these can be less popular internationally. You would be unlikely to find much interest in these in Bulgaria or Chile for example.

Conversely, if you are interested in a particular minority sport, it may be necessary to look further afield than your local high street bookie’s online offering. If for example, you are fascinated by Finnish ice wrestling, Transylvanian tiddlywinks or the Latvian Ludo League (some of these examples may have been made up), a non-UK registered site is likely to be your best option.

Players may also be able to find more advantageous odds by looking further afield. This is not only due to the wider field of competition. Overseas licencing is likely to cost less and carry a reduced administrative burden than the expensive UKGC registration process. These cost savings could be passed on to customers in the form of better odds.

There is another possible reason for finding more competitive odds too, which is less well-recognised. Say, for example, you think England will win the next football World Cup. The problem with placing that bet in England (although probably not so much in Scotland and Wales), is that many other similarly enthusiastic (if possibly deluded) England fans think the same thing. English bookies will be less likely to offer competitive odds because if in the unlikely event, the Three Lions actually manage to pull off a magnificent victory, they will be taken to the cleaners. By placing your bet overseas, it may be possible to find better odds.

It is important to remember that there are clear disadvantages when deciding to place your money overseas too. The most important of these is that you will no longer enjoy the protection that the Gambling Commission offers in the event of any disputes with your chosen site. Other overseas regulatory bodies may also provide this protection, but since they will be based abroad, the amount of support they may be able to offer UK-based citizens is uncertain and will vary. For example, it may be difficult or expensive for UK-based players to contact such authorities. There may be expensive foreign-based telephone support lines, and there is no certainty that English will be a supported language.

The UKGC also ensures that betting companies offer reasonable Terms & Conditions and that their bets are ‘fair’ – that bets are fairly taken, and that outcomes are not ‘fixed’ in any way, or skewed in the bookmakers’ favour.

Data protection is another issue. Operating under a licence issued by the UKGC carries onerous obligations to ensure that customers’ data is safe and that e-mail addresses, passwords and personal financial information do not end up in the hands of fraudsters and scammers. The security of your data may be less scrupulously guarded elsewhere.

How to choose gambling sites not covered by gamstop

The first thing to note is a reminder that placing bets with a non-UK regulated sports betting site always carries the additional risk that it has not been approved and verified by the UKGC, nor do you have any of the rights and protections that a properly UKGC-licenced site would offer. There is nothing worse than finally achieving that ‘beat the bookies’ massive win, only to find that your inspiration counts for nothing when your hard-earned winnings fail to arrive. Many punters have learned this through bitter experience, so you will need to be extra sure before parting with your stake money. This means that you will need to carry out some necessary additional checks for yourself.

The first thing is to do your best to reassure yourself that the site is legitimate. Does it look and feel professional? A non-UKGC licenced site may well not be created with English as the original language. This means that translation errors can be expected, but is it competently written? If it looks more like one of those ‘Nigerian Prince’ (419) style scam e-mails, complete with dodgy grammar and poor spelling, it’s clearly best to avoid.

Secondly, look for the site’s licencing arrangements. For UK-licenced sites, this is always listed at the bottom of the home page, but for others, this won’t necessarily be the case. Either way, it should be prominently displayed. Once you’ve found the details, look at where the site is licenced. Is it a commonly used territory, which is known to be trustworthy? If you are not sure, look up the listed licencing authority online and check for yourself.

The most important thing is: if there is no mention of the relevant licencing territory listed anywhere, this is a clear red flag. Avoid such sites.

Thirdly, always check online using your chosen search engine for any poor reviews, payment disputes or other misdemeanours. These are easy to find with a little careful online research. Use other sports betting fans’ own experiences to help you decide.

Once you have satisfied yourself that everything is in order, only then is it safe to check which sports are available and evaluate the odds on offer.

This approach may seem to many as if it’s all the wrong way round: all that preparation and effort and you may not want to place any bets in any case. But there is a good reason for doing your due diligence checks first. You don’t want to be sucked in by some generous-looking odds or too good-to-be-true introductory offers before it’s too late. Just like those never to be repeated bargain offers at the New Year sales, it’s easy to be lured in and make impulse decisions you later regret.

Summary

All gambling is a risk. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? As we have seen, there are several reasons why looking for a not-on-Gamstop sports betting site may be a good option. It’s always important to remember though, that wagering with a non-UK Gambling Commission-compliant portal adds to your level of risk. In addition to simply losing your stake, there are additional factors to be taken into account. As long as you are aware of them and enter into any future transaction fully aware of the risks, there certainly are advantages to using overseas registered sports betting services.

Always try to remember that brassic bookmakers are rare, whereas poverty-stricken punters are not. The balance of fortune is always in the bookies’ favour, so make sure you go into battle with your eyes open, fully informed of the facts.

Although not a catchphrase you will find on a non Gamstop sports betting service, it’s always relevant nonetheless: if the fun stops, stop.

Enjoy the game!

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