I've had the urge to gamble over the past few days but this morning I took a 360 approach and went into each arcade and bookies I'd gamble in and went straight up to a staff member and asked them to check they had received my details for being self excluded.
Oddly what I wasn't expecting was the look I got from some of the staff in a couple of the shops. The guy in Ladbroke gave a weird look and then W.H. the guy was almost down right aggressive the way he emphasised I wasn't allowed in the shop. I can only assume it caught them off guard and aren't used to it.
Another interesting point to be aware of, one of the arcades said the only way to self exclude was in shop, they aren't on or use BACTA. My understanding from speaking to BACTA during the week was they covered all adult gambling amusements, so unsure if that person lacked the knowledge or if indeed BACTA doesn't cover all adult gambling amusements.
It is a bit of a faff how many steps you need to go through to self exclude in that there isn't one system that covers every gambling outlet uses.Â
Danny
Hello Danny
Thanks for sharing your recent experiences with multi operator and national gambling self-exclusion schemes. It’s useful to hear this along with your thoughts around the process of self-excluding from land-based operators. It sounds like you have had quite different responses from the various operators you visited.
It’s great to hear your 360 approach – you sound really determined to keep your progress going. Managing urges can be tough but putting in self-exclusion measures will hopefully allow you a bit more breathing space and a feeling of control.
If you ever wanted to chat to us, you’re welcome to call our Helpline on  0808 8020 133 or you can use the live chat service (also available 24 hours a day).
I hope you can keep posting on our forum and sharing your thoughts.
Take care,
Claire
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