Compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable need to keep gambling. It is crucial to know how to protect yourself from such consequences. So, we prepared a comprehensive guide on responsible gambling practices, tools and measures to stay in control of your sessions.
The negative aspects of gambling do not only affect the problem gambler. They affect family members, friends, colleagues, society and significant others. In most cases, individuals who are around a problem gambler hardly notice how gambling is affecting them directly or indirectly until it's too late and also do not have effective coping skills they can use to deal with problem gambling harms.
There may come a period in your time playing at an online casino or gambling site where you may feel like you haven’t been treated fairly, or something has gone awry in regards to the service you’ve received. In such cases, you may wish to complain or dispute a decision an operator has made. Gambling disputes are relatively common and the Gambling Commission has a number of laws, regulations and processes in place to ensure that every dispute is treated seriously and resolved in an orderly and satisfactory manner.
Self-exclusion is an important tool in the promotion of responsible gambling and player welfare and is something that’s offered by every online casino licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. It’s an essential tool to be aware of for anyone who feels their gambling is becoming uncontrollable, compulsive and irresponsible and should be considered alongside receiving further help to try and tackle the problem. Self-exclusion is a tool that allows players to essentially ban themselves from logging in to or registering at an online casino or gambling website.
Underage Gambling is defined as the use of gaming and betting services by minors. In most countries, underage gaming is prohibited, with 18 years of age being the most common minimum gambling age. Underage gambling is a pressing issue with long-term effects for young British individuals, their families and society.
Gambling, the act of risking something of value on a game of chance for a desired result, has become part of today's culture and has been easily accessible, acceptable, and widespread through online platforms. Great Britain is one of the global leading countries when it comes to gambling, followed by Singapore, while Ireland and Candana are also close by (World Atlas, 2024). Discover the and how you can prevent it all together to keep yourself safe!
Gambling has been a popular human activity for centuries. However, excessive and irresponsible gambling can lead to various emotional, physical, and financial problems. Problem gambling refers to a type of impulse control disorder, where individuals diagnosed with this condition tend to have less control over their gambling than those who gamble recreationally.
Here at KingCasinoBonus. uk, when it comes to the latest slot games or casino action, it’s always about gambling responsibly. It’s crucial that you bet responsibly and ensure that your day-to-day life isn’t affected by any losses or the size of your bankroll.
At KingCasinoBonus we’re keen to promote responsible gambling, and when the fun stops, it really is important to stop. Problem gambling can be devastating on a person’s life and, like all forms of addiction, it doesn’t discriminate. Looking after yourself and checking in with your gambling activity on the regular is important in ensuring you’re playing responsibly, within your limits and it isn’t affecting your day-to-day life, whether that be responsibilities, relationships, career or anything else.
Recognising you’re struggling with gambling addiction is one of the biggest and most important steps in a person's life. It can provide you need. But, of course, it’s getting that help and entering the long road of recovery that is perhaps the most important step of all.
Over recent years, gambling has become more prominent in society. For many, it’s become an enjoyable and wholly responsible pastime. After all, many of you reading this will enjoy a spin of the slots or a game of blackjack in the evening.
Gambling addiction affects as many as 1. 3 million people across Britain, while around one in 20 people who do gamble could be at risk of developing problems. It’s a disease that can cause many problems, from financial to physical, emotional and mental, which is why if you are struggling, it’s vital to get help.
For those who are struggling with gambling problems or believe their behaviour across online casinos may be straying into the irresponsible, GAMSTOP is an online self-exclusion scheme that can be helpful in reducing the risks around problem gambling. The aim is to allow players to prevent and overcome their gambling issues. GAMSTOP is available across all UKGC-licensed gambling websites.
Through this page, we want to offer information that can help UK players manage their gambling activities, feelings and how to cope with the issues associated with it.
Before we present what are the Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to engaging in a session, one must be aware of the importance of staying in control and fully understanding the meaning of responsible gambling.
Our experts cannot offer professional counselling. However, they have investigated the situation and compiled a guide regarding recognizing and managing gambling activities.
First and foremost, it must be noted that people can gamble for a wide range of reasons, but this is not the problem. Playing moderately does not influence one’s life.
Still, when it has reached a point where it can be seen as an addiction, it can be harmful not only to that specific individual’s life but also to the ones that surround him.
Understanding the role of gambling in one’s lifestyle is an important step that can prevent compulsive gambling.
This being said, a person must ask himself specific questions and be honest with himself when giving them an answer.
To guide punters through a safe path regarding their playing pattern, we’ve compiled a list with several questions which can point out at what stage one can be.
If all the answers to the above questions make one think they have a gambling addiction problem, he must not hesitate to ask for guidance. We shall provide all the necessary support to help individuals understand their gambling behaviour and the effects it can have on their lifestyle if a change is not made.
Our purpose is to help all UK players prevent and help them overcome this addiction. Hence, we have gathered a few useful tips based on our experience with problem gambling that can help punters stay in control.
Among the most frequent and efficient responsible gambling tools present in top online casinos, we shall mention:
Managing your finances before starting a gaming session can prevent compulsive gambling. Each online casino provides this feature for all punters when they open an account. These deposit limits can be set on a day, week, or month.
Once these limits have been reached, the platform will notify the player of a choice: either continue betting with new limits or stop the session.
In order to come to the aid of users that play on a budget, numerous minimum deposit casinos allow players to access their services without having to make considerable payments. Additionally, numerous top online casinos offer players casino bonuses to help them practice this activity without spending more funds than they can afford to lose.
Knowing how much one spends can help acknowledge the fact that there might be a problem, especially in instances when the set budget is exceeded.
In addition to this, it might be challenging to detect such an addiction if it’s not pointed out.
For this reason, all online casinos are obliged by the UKGC to offer such a feature to guarantee that all individuals will have all the necessary options for a responsible and safe session.
Similar to deposit limits, setting loss limits will allow users to set a loss cap beforehand.
Hence, when gambling online, users can set a maximum amount they are willing to lose during a day, week, or month.
This feature, while not as common as setting deposit limits, has proven to be widely successful among gamblers, as it allows users to stay aware of how much they have lost and not succumb to the instant temptation of making additional wagers.
A reality check consists of setting up a pop-up alert which will notify users of how much time they have spent gambling every time a certain amount of time has passed since they have initiated a betting session.
Setting a reality check tool can be a very useful way of staying in control of your gambling activity since it is common for wagering to have some players lose track of time.
By having the casino notify them every once in a while of how much they have spent gambling, users may have a better sense of understanding when they should take a break and reflect on their behaviours.
As the name implies, this is a feature that will allow members to step out from engaging in gameplay for a specific period of time.
This can be proved useful for individuals who want to continue to gamble and are in control of their gaming behaviour and want to manage it by keeping it under control.
This facility allows UK casino members to stop initiating a session for at least six months. Once one selects this feature, the online gaming operator must do everything in its power to support the user’s decision and prevent them from accessing other casinos which operate under the same company.
Once the self-exclusion has been selected, the gaming site must return any real money funds available in the account and remove the name and any other data used for marketing purposes.
Although all online casinos offer this tool, UK players are unaware of it. Based on a survey made in 2019 by UKGC, only 5% of casino users have ever self-excluded, which is a meagre percentage since 47% of adults who have participated in the survey said that they had experienced at least one form of problem gambling.
In addition to this, 42% of members who took part in the survey mentioned that while they were aware of such a feature, they had not used it. Even though they have not selected this feature, the number shows a 12% increase compared to the survey done in 2015 by the same organization, where only 35% had any knowledge regarding it.
Unfortunately, as can be seen in the below graphic, there are still users who remain oblivious to such a feature. This is where we intervene and shed light on self-exclusion.
Our mission as a company is to guide the player through a better and safe gambling session. To have such gameplay, one must be aware of the features that can help him control his gaming pattern and also recognize the sign of gambling addiction. All online casinos provide this feature on the Responsible Gambling or Safer Gambling page. However, we also recommend making use of the free service GAMSTOP.
This service will allow players to exclude from licensed gaming operators for a period of 6 months, one year or five years.
Specific software can be downloaded into one’s device, be it a computer, tablet or smartphone.
It shall provide additional assistance when it comes to the limitation of specific gaming sites.
Such applications can be divided into two main groups:
All the software mentioned above can also be used to prevent underage gambling. For additional information about how it can be installed or how it works, we advise all readers to check out our compiled page on underage gambling.
One may think that there are particular symptoms or signs that can help identify such a problem. However, there are no obvious signs which can distinguish a compulsive pattern from a regular one.
A player can have a gambling addiction without losing control entirely. In addition to this, it might differ from one person to another. Now, one may wonder how it can be identified to take the necessary measures.
As stated above, compulsive gambling is an impulse-control disorder that can affect an individual’s life and the people surrounding him. The only way to become aware of it is to pay attention if the lifestyle is disrupted in one way or another. Despite this, it must also be considered that certain persons will lie to themselves, deny that there might be a problem, or even try to minimize it.
Taking into account the analysis that our experts have made regarding this matter, we have managed to gather certain aspects that may help determine if one has lost control or not.
Such situations or feelings can be understandable. Still, suppose these are related to gaming activities. In that case, it might mean that one has lost control of their previously responsible betting patterns.
A person does not need to be weak-willed or irresponsible to lose control. Gambling addiction can affect anyone, regardless of status or background.
Loss of control can affect anyone and not only that specific person but also the loved ones that are surrounding him. Suppose gambling has become a vital part of a person’s life. In such cases, the most significant step one must take to overcome it is to realize that the matter is beyond his control. Hence, one must never hesitate to ask for help.
Be aware of the matter
As we have continuously mentioned, punters who play compulsively shall deny the fact they have a problem and will always lie to themselves. As it is known, one cannot entirely fix something that he isn’t aware of or understands.
People surrounding problem gamblers can help them out by offering emotional support, helping them recognize the issues, and guiding them through a healthy path. Nevertheless, the person in question should also reach out to family, friends, work colleagues, or even a support group if he becomes aware of the situation.
Request assistance from professionals
Seeking professional help when the issues become severe could make a difference in one’s life. Professional guidance is necessary because even though one may think he has overcome the need for playing, the problem may remain. For this reason, the methods used by professional counsellors or therapists could change the situation.
We, as a casino bonus site testing and comparison service, cannot offer professional guidance for players who have lost control of their gambling activities. Nevertheless, we come to their help with additional information on who to contact or how to contact organizations that can help.
Do not succumb to the temptation
To avoid gambling, we recommend postponing any gambling activities. For instance, an individual with a drinking problem who wants to recover will try to stay far away from bars and alcohol. The same situation applies to those who have a gambling issue.
Thus, even though it might be inconvenient to avoid casinos, be they online or land-based, staying away from such triggers can prove to be beneficial. Furthermore, thanks to the tools and features that we have explained above, it might be easier to avoid such circumstances.
As we have indicated above, we have created a list of organizations that punters can contact for further counselling. These are:
The most crucial step to staying in control is to be aware of the fact that anyone can, at some point, can gamble compulsively. That person does not need to have a low level of intelligence or specific background.
Luckily, nowadays, there are various tools that can be used to prevent gambling addiction. Still, one must know of them and use them when it’s necessary.
Our primary purpose through this page has been to open a person’s eyes that there are tools that can help them stay in control and that they need to seek professional help when the control has been lost.