Responsible Gambling – How to Gamble Responsibly and Safe
8 minutes
Last Updated: August 2, 2022
Many people gamble and play casino games to escape the hardships of the real world. They spend countless hours at online casinos playing their favorite games and forget what's happening around them.
This can be a feel-good moment for you, but eventually, you have to return to your regular life routine.
Gambling can make things worse in some scenarios instead of offering unlimited fun and entertainment.
Of course, we aren't comparing gambling with drugs or overindulgence in alcohol. Still, in a few circumstances, things can get worse.
If you're losing more money than your bankroll permits, it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on your life.
On the other hand, gambling can certainly offer fun and joy, provided you are doing it the right way and having proper control over your bankroll.
You can get addicted to gambling if you make it the number one priority of your life.
This post will delve deeper into the subject of responsible gambling. We will talk about different ways through which you can keep gambling under control.
Also, we will try to understand the difference between responsible gambling and problem gambling. So, on a serious note, let's begin our post on how to gamble responsible and safe at the casinos.
What Does Responsible Gambling Mean?
Responsible gaming refers to taking a regular break while playing casino games and not using gambling as the primary income source.
Instead, you're gambling with money you can afford to lose, which shouldn't affect you financially.
At the same time, gambling responsibly means setting limits on yourself with time and money.
For instance, an online casino patron says,' Okay, I will gamble only for a couple of hours today. All the player needs to do is set a time limit on that online casino.
After two hours, the casino site will inform the player that the gaming time is over as they have reached the daily limit.
In addition, online casinos often use a 24-hour cooling period where you can block access to online gaming.
Ultimately, it's not the amount you squander or over squander at online casinos that makes you a responsible gambler. Instead, your overall approach to gambling, in general, defines responsible gambling.
In a nutshell, you can categorize yourself as a responsible gambler if you:
- Gamble for fun and entertainment purposes only
- Don't make gambling your primary source of income
- Take a regular break from time to time
- Set a specific daily, weekly, or monthly budget
- Set a time limit monthly, weekly and daily basis
- Spending money that you can afford to lose
10 Tips to Gamble Responsibly: A Detailed Guide
1. Gambling is a Paid Entertainment
Consider gambling a form of entertainment and think of it the same way you associate yourself while buying a movie ticket or getting a dinner with friends.
The overall experience can be exhilarating, and if you get a chance to win, it's white-knuckle for you. The important thing is you enjoy the time spent while gambling and don't think about income or loss.
2. Set a Money Limit
With adrenaline-pumping action at online casinos, sometimes keeping track of money gets sideways. For this reason, you must have a budget or money that you stick to it while playing your favorite games. If you've exhausted your bankroll, it's time to stop playing.
3. Set a Time Limit
Time seems to be running at a different pace while gambling online. You can't track time only to find you're playing for several hours.
So next time you gamble online, set a time limit at the casino site, say 1 or 2 hours. Once the time limit is over, get back to your normal activities.
4. Don't Go After the Losses
There might be some days when you're losing more money than winning. You need to understand this is not your day, and don't chase the losses.
If you continue playing with the hope of compensating for the lost money, it will lead to problem gambling.
5. Don't Become Overly Superstitious
Some players sit at a particular table or continuously play the same game because they have won previously.
You need to understand that gambling is all about luck, and you should rule out superstitions. Just because you lose regularly doesn't make you an unlucky human being.
6. Understanding Gambler's Fallacy
The probability of getting heads twice a row is way higher than having tails eight times a row. While playing roulette, if the wheel shows black five times, it doesn't mean it will show red in the next spin.
Gambling is not about assumptions; the outcome doesn't depend on previous events.
7. Understanding Rules and Odds of the Game
Some casino games might seem more enthralling to you than others, irrespective of the odds or outcome.
For example, while poker and blackjack offer the best odds, these games still have few bets with the worst odds. Therefore, to enjoy gambling, you must play by the rules and understand game odds.
8. Don't Gamble with Borrowed Money
Whether placing a wager by debiting money from your credit card or borrowing a few bucks from your friends, it's never a good idea to play online with money you don't have.
If you win, it's well, and you can return the borrowed money. But if you lose, it becomes a debt and can lead to unwanted stress, and you start playing more with the hope of winning back the lost money.
9. Avoid Gambling Under the Influence
Gambling should be viewed as a fun pastime and a way to relieve day-to-day stress. It's okay to grab a couple of drinks while playing.
But it's definitely not recommended that you indulge in gambling after a heavy dose of alcohol.
In that case, you cannot make proper decisions and often play with increased bankroll or beyond the usual time limit.
10. Gambling During Good Times
Gambling is meant to be fun and exciting, where you can spend quality time with friends while playing games online.
However, if gambling becomes your excuse to escape stress or depression, you're on the way to problem gambling.
So play games when you're happy, but at the same time, don't fall back into gambling to fix things when time isn't going right.
How Can a Gambling Company Stay Responsible?
The casino or gambling operator is directly responsible for all its activities and has to ensure responsible gambling amongst players.
At the same time, the operator should ensure that casino games are embedded in CMS or a complete management system to deliver a safe and secure gambling experience to the players.
The casino websites must offer various tools that may or may not be in direct contact with the concerned player but provide ways to control:
- Gambling addictions amongst players by setting time and money limits
- Underage gambling problems by validating the player's date of birth
- Provide data security against criminal activities and online threats
- Delivering a secure gaming environment to the players
Understanding the Differences Between Responsible Gambling and Problem Gambling
Responsible gaming and safe gambling are all about playing casino games for fun and entertainment. However, the situation can become problematic if the player starts playing for a livelihood or invest more money they can't afford to lose.
The various programs on how to gamble responsible are often about prevention. But, they are intended for the entire player base of a particular gambling operator.
And the main focus is to curtail the symptoms of problem gambling behavior developing in the first place.
Ironically, many people think that responsible gambling and problem gambling programs are the same.
As a result, players often overlook responsible gambling programs because they don't associate themselves with having any addiction or problem behavior with gambling.
How Problem Gambling Manifests Itself?
You probably might think, ‘My gambling doesn't cause any trouble; why should I bother? You might be correct, but for some people, gambling often causes damage that might not even be something they have reflected on before.
Here are some common traits of a problem gambler:
- Overthinking about gambling online
- Gambling continuously to reach the level of thrill
- Unable to stop playing even while trying to do so
- Withdrawal symptoms while not gambling
- Treating gambling as a form of reward
- Committing crimes to afford to gamble
Recommendations for Responsible Gamblers
Gambling online is all about spending a relaxing and enjoyable time. However, suppose you are one of those people or know someone preoccupied with gambling.
In that case, we strongly recommend contacting the below-mentioned specialized organizations that offer necessary support to individuals:
- Gambling Therapy: Offers counseling and support to people who're adversely affected due to gambling. The members of this group operate from various locations in the UK and the rest of the world.
- GamCare: It is one of the leading counseling authorities that offering practical advice and sound guidance to combat the negative aspects of problem gambling and addictive behavior.
- Gamblers Anonymous: It's a fellowship of a large group of males and females who come together to serve affected players and make them aware of the dangers posed by online gambling.
Final Thoughts
You need to understand that gambling should be done for only entertainment purposes. Just like there's a risk in smoking cigarettes or consuming alcohol, there's a risk in gambling too.
If you are not overindulging yourself in gambling, it's great. But still, we ask you to do a self-assessment check from time to time.
Have you been gambling more lately, or is it making you feel restless? Self-awareness is the key to a happy gambling experience and keeping problem gambling at bay.
So, go out, have fun and keep the things discussed above in mind to gamble responsibly.
