Online gambling is a popular and enjoyable pastime, but just like with regular gambling, caution is a must. Playing in casinos always carries the risk of causing financial trouble and related stress and anxiety. Gamblers may lose control and overspend or become a target for scammers.
We believe that gambling should be done responsibly and online casinos are meant to be places that people visit to relax and have a good time, not ruin their lives. If you would like your gambling experience to be fun and safe at the same time, we’ve compiled the best responsible gambling strategies to date.
Many online gambling platforms promote safe play and invest heavily in awareness campaigns. Events such as Responsible Gaming Week, held during the last week of October, encourage players to limit their gambling and offer insights into many tools and techniques we’ll describe below. Even casinos themselves often add pop-ups reminding players to take a break or offer promotions for playing responsibly.
Everyone knows that overindulgence leads to trouble, but only in hindsight. It’s easy to lose oneself to the thrill of play, and some casinos take it upon themselves to educate players about the dangers of rash gambling. For instance, EnergyCasino has an entire section of its website dedicated to informing players about responsible play. Additional resources include quizzes that help players assess their behaviour patterns and adjust them if they’re unhealthy.
Last, but not least, are the third-party organisations that collaborate with online casinos to promote gambling awareness. National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), for example, serves both as an educational platform and a source of resources to help potential addicts. Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, a similar organization, constantly updates its database of guides and links to apps and services for players who wish to control their online casino experiences.
If players don’t spend much money on games, they won’t lose much even if they lose track. That’s the gist of one of the easiest and most complicated responsible gambling strategies. It’s easy because it sounds great and simple on paper, but the hard part is committing to it. Players must set hard limits on the amount of money they spend gambling, and when they hit the limit, they have to stop and quit for a while. That takes a lot of willpower and not everyone can stop that easily.
Ideally, players should set a cap on the credit card or e-wallet they use for gambling. We recommend setting weekly limits on deposits. Monthly limits are also possible, but only if the players don’t play often. A strict limit on payments is a great way to make overspending physically impossible, even if the player forgets to stop in time. A lot of casinos also have built-in customisable deposit and wager limits. In addition to limiting how much players can spend in one go; they also impose mandatory cool-off periods to prevent players from changing withdrawal caps right after hitting them. It goes a long way to help players control their impulses.
Limiting time spent gambling is also important for a responsible online casino experience. Casino websites understand that it’s easy to lose track of time playing, so they implement handy reminders for users. They encourage players to pause and take a break, or put them in mandatory time-outs between sessions, should users choose such an option. Gambling fatigue can easily harm players and impair their reason. Simply taking a short break and getting a reality check can easily prevent a snowball of issues.
Gambling can be addictive, and just like with any addiction, abstinence is the best way to avoid trouble. Self-exclusion programs exist to help players who find it hard to limit their gambling on their own. Essentially, players reach out to casinos and ask to be banned for a set amount of time. Usually, such forced abstinence lasts for months, in some extreme cases players ask to be excluded for years. It is a radical shift, but if gamblers feel that they’re losing control of their lives because of their addiction, it’s best to take action and weather the withdrawal.
Naturally, reaching out to every casino can be tedious. Thankfully, there are services that give players the ability to mass-block casino access. GamStop is a British service that restricts access to UK-licensed casinos for a preset amount of time. This service covers all licensed operators and affects all user devices. It is rather intrusive, as users have to submit all their personal data upon signing up.
If players wish to avoid such a bureaucratic solution, there are open-source applications that do the trick. Gamban, for instance, is a multi-platform app that prohibits access to gambling websites. The database is constantly updated to keep track of new online casinos worldwide. BetBlocker is a similar tool with more customizable and accessible features. Rather than imposing a blanket ban, users can choose what kinds of websites are blocked. This is great for people who simply want to control their gambling habits and not abstain completely.
Abstinence is very taxing on the psyche and after restricting access to gambling. There are many support networks both for gambling addicts and players who only wish to maintain responsible play. Gamblers Anonymous is one such organization that has a great track record of helping people control their impulses and get their lives back on track. Therapy is also an option for players who want to keep their sanity during self-exclusion. Simply having someone to confide in and maintain mutual control helps players gamble responsibly. And lastly, players should find hobbies and engage in physical activities to keep their minds off gambling during the self-exclusion period.
Gamble Responsibly: Gambling should be enjoyed as a form of entertainment, not a way to earn money. Always gamble within your financial means and set limits to stay in control. You must be 18 or older to participate in gambling activities. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, seek help from organisations like FEJAR (Federación Española de Jugadores de Azar Rehabilitados) at www.fejar.org. Stay safe and gamble responsibly.
