Because, for many people, highly entertaining casino experiences include ways to reduce risk through responsible gambling. Awareness of pitfalls combined with deposit limits, cool off periods, timeouts and self-exclusion will set the tone and help those who want to stay, stay safe.
The most important rule when you gamble is remember it should be fun and not a way to make money, never look at gambling as means of investment and an opportunity to make more dollars.
Set a budget
Budgeting is an important aspect of responsible gambling. For instance, when online gambling, the player needs to manage their funds, so as not to risk financial harm caused by excessive gambling spending. Only players with disposable funds, which they can afford to lose, should gamble, and at no point should gambling funds be used to pay for essential expenditure such as rent or food costs.
Responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, time out sessions and cool off periods help combat the addiction while the loss and win limits serve as a way to minimise financial ruin.
Know the odds
Careless gambling can lead to lifelong problems of both money and relationships. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with odds and risks of gambling so that you can behavse like a responsible gambler.
Don’t bet on sporting, gaming or other events about which you have no knowledge and in which you can’t apply informed judgment of odds: betting without knowledge might lead to foolish wagers when the heat is on, and profound losses will follow. Steer clear of gambling after drinking alcohol, as drunken intoxication cannot be considered a valid excuse.
So, players have deposit limits – for example, a weekly limit of say, £100 – and time limits – such as a daily soft limit or a weekly hard limit – to stay in control of their money and avoid chasing losses or feeding their addiction. In this way, responsible gamblers can keep gambling as an entertainment cost on the same level as your streaming subscription and your football tickets and go about their day.
Don’t gamble with unlicensed operators
Playing should never be seen as a form of investment or money-making but as a form of recreational entertainment enjoyed for its own sake. It is likely that gambling problems can be avoided or lessened if you choose to play only at state-regulated operators who are known and trusted brands.
Featured on the websites of reputable online casino brands are a wide variety of self-help measures that enable players to set limits on their money and time they spend at the site. Players can easily establish a preferred limit for the amount they can deposit in one go, set playtime limits, opt for loss-limits, request for a cooling-off period or a self-exclusion policy.
Black market operators can exploit the absence of clarity between themselves and the regulated operators, and gaps in consumer awareness of the distinction, thereby gaining an illegal competitive edge and causing harm to legitimate gambling operators and society at large. We contend that all stakeholders need to come together to protect consumers, which is the clearest path for ensuring the promotion of responsible gambling.
Take breaks
Tools such as time limits, betting limits, bonuses, advance loss limits and self-exclusion, features allowing players to exclude themselves from their accounts for several months or years if necessary, can be applied to ensure responsible gameplay.
Gambling can be enjoyable — and far more adrenalised than most work environments — but transformed into an occupation, it threatens to become a dangerous business. Irrational betting could impel a dissembling of losses — until the bankroll runs out, and there is no casino left with which to continue to engage in such behaviour. A casino without a bankroll can’t win money. A casino without a bankroll can’t afford to play. This essay first appeared in January 2010.
Mandatory play breaks might provide helpful devices for the RG, but they should be validated in the design stage and application; their full potential in limiting the harmful playing practice is yet to be established. For example, the authors’ suggestion of including customised-feedback tools during mandatory play breaks might further enhance their ability in limiting irrational gambling-play practice.
Never gamble for the wrong reasons
Unsponsible gambling can also lead to health and wellbeing consequences, such as debt and devastating financial debt, and familial stress and substance abuse. It can also have a negative effect on health and wellbeing by using money that could have been invested in healthy activities (eg, time with the family or at the gym).
Preventing yourself from becoming addicted to gambling can include spotting behaviours which could lead to developing a problem and acknowledging when you need to reach out for help yourself or for a friend or relative. Knowing about responsible gaming practices can also help you to spot concerning behaviours, as does talking to your friends and family about gaming.
Almost all iGaming operators offer some form of responsible gambling tools that are accessible via their website homepage or settings page to set deposit limits or take time-out or self-exclusion measures.