Responsible Gambling

Have you ever tried playing casinos? Whether you visited a land-based gaming facility or played online, you know how exciting and fun casino games can be. From slots to roulette, blackjack, and poker, anyone can find its favorite playing option. While they could bring profit, the primary purpose of casinos is to offer a fun way to spend leisure time. The majority of players understand this, and they don’t let things get out of control. These gamblers apply the approach of responsible gaming. Once you step out of those limits, you might start having problems related to gambling addiction. We want all players to enjoy playing in online casinos and using the bonuses available to them. If you find yourself or anyone else experiencing gambling issues, here is what you can do.

What Does It Mean to Play Responsibly?

The simple explanation of gambling responsibly is that you focus on enjoying the games while staying within your playing limits. Online casinos enable you to have fun, which means you should avoid behaving recklessly when on gaming platforms. Responsible gambling involves employing common sense when deciding how much money to invest, how long to play, etc. Here are some main rules applied by those who gamble responsibly:

• Decide how much to invest before starting to play – begin by setting a deposit limit for a playing session. Make sure you can afford to lose that money and don’t re-invest in the same session.
• Set how much time you will spend in a casino – try to be reasonable and avoid spending more than several hours, even if you have free time.
• Don’t play when you are distressed – whether you had a few drinks or someone annoyed you, avoid playing when you are not feeling well.
• Don’t borrow money or sell possessions to gamble – you should play only with funds you can afford to lose. Avoid selling valuable items or borrowing money to gamble.

How to Identify a Gambling Problem

A problem gambler will often exhibit addiction in various ways. Here are some signs to recognize a gambling problem:

• Going over the deposit limits you set yourself – did you notice that you often lose more money than planned when playing? That can be a sign of a gambling problem.
• Playing with money intended for other purposes – whether you need to pay electricity bills or buy groceries, never gamble with cash intended for something else. It doesn’t even matter if you win or lose because playing with those assets is the problem.
• You don’t find playing in casinos fun – you are always stressed and looking for winning as a compensation for your losses instead.
• Lying to others about where you are – if you skip hanging out with your friends and lie about having other things to do, when you spend the night gambling, that is a sign of a problem.
• Missing your appointments – whether you come late to work or miss a family member’s birthday, missing an appointment is a serious indicator of a gambling issue.
• Changes in your behavior – you caught yourself being nervous, irritated or depressed frequently. 
• You can’t stop thinking about playing – wherever you are, and whatever you do, you only think about getting back to the game.
• Your finances are poor – if playing has affected your finances significantly, it is a sign of an underlying problem.
• Someone pointed out the issue – if anyone told you that you might have a gambling problem, make sure to think about that.

You can also find free self-assessment tests online. These could help you determine if you are at risk of developing a gambling addiction.

How to Ask for Help

If you are ready to ask for help to resolve your gambling problems, you already made a huge step forward. Here are the steps you can take to start fighting your addiction.

Use Self-Restriction Tools

The best online casinos do not only offer tempting bonuses, but they also care about applying responsible gaming rules. Relevant authorities, such as the UK Gambling Commission, request the casinos who receive their license to work with gambling control bodies. Some platforms have an integrated feature of limiting deposits and setting up other restrictions, such as excluding yourself from the website for a specific period. You can adjust these features within the main menu once you log into the site. You can also consider these tools:

• GamBlock – it is a software solution that blocks your access to gaming sites on various devices.
• Count Me Out – a tool that allows self-exclusion if you want to stay away from gambling.

Call a Helpline and Ask for Advice and Support

It is hard to fight a gambling problem alone, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to call organizations that could provide the necessary advice. Here is the list of some authorities that could help:

• GambleAware – a website that provides live chat and a phone line that is available around the clock for advice to problem gamblers.
• Gambling Therapy – another organization that provides advice and emotional support for those with gambling issues.
• Debt Advice Foundation – a helpful body that can assist with guidelines on how to get out of a gambling debt.
• Gamblers Anonymous – seek meetings and get to know other people with similar problems.

You can find many other support websites and forums online. They can help you exchange opinions with other players and professionals and get the encouragement needed to push through the rough patch in your life.