Responsible Gambling
Gambling on online casinos can be a thrill like you have never had before. The rush, the thrill, and the excitement are enough to get your juices flowing at top speed. However, it would be best to be extra careful because things can get a little out of hand. Out of hand, meaning you might develop an addiction to the rush. In all honesty, getting addicted to the rush would not be as bad if it does not affect your life. But, there is no way you can think logically if you are addicted and gamble irresponsibly.
You might be here to find a solution to your problem or help a friend or family member in need. Regardless, you do not have anything to worry about. Thankfully, the focus of this article is to help you point out signs of gambling addiction. At the end, you would find out the little things you can do to sort it out. Read on to find out.
Why is it Essential for You to Gamble Responsibly?
Gambling is a great way to have fun, but you have to be responsible regardless. This is because you can get emotional since you are putting real money on the line. Being emotional during gambling makes you irrational. Being irrational then forces you to make irresponsible decisions. These reckless decisions can harm you, your finances, and the online casino.
Now, it is important that you know you cannot win all the time. All casino games come with a house edge that increases the odds of the player winning the game. This can get very frustrating sometimes, but it is still the main reason why they are casino games. The best thing you can do is to be responsible and sensible since it is your money that is on the line. Besides, if you are more interested in having fun than becoming a millionaire overnight from playing a game, you would not make terrible decisions.
The more you focus on making tons of money, the more likely you are to be irresponsible while playing. You should rather be focused on having fun from playing a game. Do not become obsessive to make up for your losses. Just enjoy the game and claim the wins you make, no matter how small or big. It would save you from financial and emotional stress.
Signs that You Have a Problem with Gambling
If you are worried about having a gambling problem, there are a few things you can check to be sure. It can be one or two of the points listed below. Sometimes, you might not even notice the problem at all. However, the list below would help you point out the red flag and help you work on yourself. Have a look.
- Borrowing and selling your possessions to fund a gamble
- Hiding your gambling lifestyle from family and friends
- Making gambling a source of income instead of a fun hobby
- Getting depressed and stressed from gambling outcomes or the thought of gambling itself
- Losing interest in socializing and meeting friends
Safe Gambling Practices you can try
There are a handful of things you can do to ensure that you are safe whenever you gamble. These practices usually require an effort from you before they can be used or effective. So, you have to make the conscious decision to gamble safely. These practices would help you keep track of your gambling behavior and point out when you are stepping out of line. Take a look at the table below.
| Deposits | As a gambler, you should only deposit an amount you can afford to lose. Gambling is something to enjoy and not a get rich quick scheme. When you notice that you are beginning to deposit amounts of money that make you feel uncomfortable, then it is time to call the quits. |
| Limits | Using on-site limiters would do you a whole lot of good. Most top online casinos have limiters integrated into them to ensure that you do not bet beyond a certain limit. The limits are set by their account management tools to daily, weekly, and monthly. There are even other tools like the self-limiter tool. This tool locks you out of your account for days, weeks, and months once you have set it up. |
| Losses | How you handle your losses says a lot about how you gamble. If you compulsively chase your losses, then you have a gambling problem. Chasing your losses always seems like a quick fix, but it ends up worsening the problem. Casino games are programs that run on a preset algorithm. Luck cannot help you twist the RPT in your favour and make you due for a win. |
| Research | This is by far one of the most important things you can do before you try out any game on an online casino. Always look through the terms and conditions of all casino games before you play them. This is because the games might seem interesting but come with extremely difficult terms and conditions. |
| Be Sober | You should always be sober whenever you gamble. Drinking and gambling are a really bad combination, and it might force you to make some terrible decisions. Being drunk in itself is bad enough, but gambling in that state is quite worse. Why? You might lose all you have in your bank account without even being aware of it. So do yourself a favour by staying away from alcohol when you want to gamble. |
What Might Trigger Irresponsible Gambling?
Being irresponsible is not something most people do willingly. Most times, they just happen to become victims of circumstance. Other times, they become overwhelmed by their emotions or cravings. However, you should always be conscious of the things you do, especially while gambling. Have a look at some of the things you should be conscious of:
- Family history of gambling
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mental illnesses
Problem Gambling Charities
It is quite easy to point out that you might have some problems, but handling it is another scenario entirely. Luckily, there are organizations that are made for this purpose. A popular one is Problem Gambling Ireland. The organization is a non-profit that provides counselling, phone and email support. They also provide physical classes like the harm-prevention workshop to help you avoid harming yourself.
Another organization you should know about is Gamblers Anonymous Ireland. This organization sets up meetings all over the country. They are available to help you talk through your issues and receive the support you need. Lucky for you, there are a lot more organizations that would love to support you in trying times. The first step to take is to reach out to those that can help. All you need to do is give them a call, and you would be attended to instantly.
What about Self-Exclusion?
Self-exclusion is a good way for you to retreat from the intense casino gaming lifestyle you developed over time. Most top online casinos that possess reputable licenses have this feature. This feature allows you to shut down your online casino account for a period of time. It can be a few weeks, months, and even years. During the self-exclusion period, you would not be able to log into your account to play casino games. You should bear in mind that the procedure is not permanent, and your account would be restored when the set time is up. Still, you would not receive any notification of promotions and deals offered by the casino. This is their way of ensuring that you stick to the plan and return at the set time.
Some other casinos might not call this feature the self-exclusion feature. Check for names like time-out, pause my account, take a break, and more to access this feature. Regardless, you should take this feature very seriously. You might not know it, but a few days or weeks from the gambling lifestyle can be all that you need. The time you get to spend doing other things might be what you need to get yourself back on track mentally, socially, and physically.
When is Responsible Gambling Week?
Responsible Gambling Week is an initiative to raise awareness about the problems of gambling across all online casino platforms. It is an annual program and usually happens for a week in November. The event is endorsed by all online casinos, gambling charities, bingo rooms, and every other stakeholder in the casino industry. It is designed to create an atmosphere where people can openly talk about their casino gaming lifestyle. This is to ensure that they feel safe enough to speak up about the problems they might be having.
A lot of times, you would find banners and posters of the program in land-based casinos. Online casinos do well to create ads and send newsletters to their players, urging them to attend the program. It would be best if you gave the program a try. There you would better recognize signs of gambling addictions and solutions you can try to help yourself. You should give it a try.
Summary
Gambling addiction is a real problem that has affected a lot of casino gamers. It might seem like no big deal at first, but it eats deep and gets harder to fix with time. The best thing you can do is to be truthful to yourself about your present situation. Then decide to take steps to fix the problem. Nothing produces a more effective result than a personal decision to change.
If you are here to help a friend, remember that you cannot force a horse to drink at the river. Do not be aggressive about it. Your true intention is to help. Just make sure to be supportive all the way, even to the end. With time, you would see positive changes. Also, please visit our Privacy Policy page to know what kind of data we collect about our users.
