Responsible Gambling Tools To Stay In Control

Updated:

Compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable need to keep gambling. Using various types of analysis, we shall provide recommendations on responsible gambling.

The importance of maintaining control over the gambling sessions

The importance of maintaining control over the gambling sessions

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.

 A player doesn’t need to gamble frequently to be considered an addict

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.

Self-assessment responsible gambling quiz

  1. Do betting more considerable sums offer the same feeling as betting smaller amounts?
  2. Is borrowing money from family or friends or selling possessions necessary to gamble?
  3. While engaging in a session, have feelings such as anxiety, guilt, stress, or health problems occurred?
  4. Were there cases when the family or friends complained about the gambling pattern due to financial problems or neglecting them?
  5. Were there situations when lying was essential in other to engage in a gambling session?

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.

Do’s and Don’ts to avoid gambling addiction

Do’s and Don’ts to avoid gambling addiction

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.

Do’s

  • Gambling must always be viewed as a leisure activity and not as a source of income!
  • Always set a limit on either time or/and on the amount before starting a session.
  • Know when to stop.
  • Hasty decisions can be stopped by limiting daily withdrawal limits.
  • Hang out more with friends and family that are unrelated in any way to this type of activity.

Don’ts

  • Never initiate a game while under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
  • Decision-making should not be done while being emotionally upset.
  • Don’t lose track of what it’s essential.
  • By no means suppress emotions regarding compulsive gambling – talk to someone about it.
  • Under no circumstances lie to yourself by saying that you don’t have a problem- accepting is the first step.

Stay in control: tools & features explained

Stay in control tools & features explained

Among the most frequent and efficient responsible gambling tools present in top online casinos, we shall mention:

Set deposit limits

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.

Loss limits

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.

Reality checks

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.

Time outs

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.

Time outs time periods available in online casinos:

  • 24 hours
  • One week
  • One month
  • Any amount of time considered necessary by the user shorter than six weeks

Self-exclusion

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.

As we have stated, 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.

Gambling blocking software

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:

  • Gambling-specific applications are specially designed to block only gambling sites. For instance: Gamban,Gamblock,Betfilter
  • General blocking software. These have been developed to limit access to certain websites that can also include iGaming platforms. An example of such a site is Netnanny.

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.

Symptoms & signs of losing control

Symptoms & signs of losing control

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 measure.

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.

Signs that one might have a gambling problem

  • Arguments with family and friends based on money and how they spend on gambling activities
  • Carelessness or ignorance for matters concerning work, family, friends, personal needs, or other responsibilities and usual activities
  • Hiding from the people around when engaging in a gambling session
  • The increase in anxiety, guilty, depression or irritable feelings

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.

Guide on what to do in case one losses control

As we have mentioned, 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.

Guidelines for staying in control of your gambling

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.

Who to contact: Services that can offer advice and counselling

As we have indicated above, we have created a list of organizations that punters can contact for further counselling. These are:

  • Be Gamble Aware: Free-of-charge associations that can be contacted via phone or live chat immediately. An adviser shall be at any ones disposal 24/7.
  • Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust: The foundation can be contacted at 020 7534 6699 / 6687 and shall assess the needs of anyone who are over 16 years old.
  • Gam-Anon: This organization offers support to family, relatives, friends or other persons who have been affected by a person’s gambling addiction.
  • Gamblers Anonymous: The business offers guidance through support groups.

Our aim

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.

References