Responsible Gambling

From time to time, every person wants to experience sharp emotions and take risks. Someone goes in for extreme sports, and someone prefers to risk less valuable resources and gamble. Some casino players are so addicted to gambling that slot launches cease to be fun and enjoyable. In such situations, psychologists talk about manifestations of addiction. Responsible gaming rules help control the level of passion and maintain a balance between gambling and recreation. Thanks to a conscious approach, the casino client controls the level of immersion in gambling, maintains financial well-being and good relationships with loved ones.

MyBestCasino, as a socially responsible review resource, focuses on providing important information for players, not only about the best online casinos in Canada, but also about responsible gambling and the way to market it. Here we might wish to explain the way to enjoy casino games in a safe way, the way to set gambling limitations, the way to identify the addiction within the early stage, where to seek help, and the way for gamblers to guard themselves from being stuck during a circle of problems.

Gambling addiction is understood as a pathological craving for gambling. One of the manifestations of gambling addiction is a systematic visit to the casino, loss of control over the game and the difficulty of giving up gambling of one’s own free will.

Gambling addiction is classified as a problem that disrupts family, social, social, professional life. With the loss of control over the game, financial problems also appear.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) calls gambling addiction a gambling disorder and claims that in order to identify a gambling disorder a gambler needs to confirm at least four characteristics of their interaction with the casino. The full list can be read here, and we will give an example of the most common options.

1. Each time the player bets more and more money to raise the excitement to the level they need.
2.  The gambler often thinks about gambling: reminiscing about the success or failure of past games or planning future games.
3. The player plays to cheer themselves up from a hard day at work or to take their mind off an emotional upheaval.
4. “Chasing losses”: the player loses and comes back to recoup.
5. The player lies to others that they are busy with something else, while they secretly play in the casino.

Dealing with gambling addiction is not easy, but it is possible. A gambler needs to start by recognizing the problem. The first step for addicted players is self-exclusion from the casino.

The rules of the responsible gambling policy provide that the administration of the online casino provides guests with the opportunity to apply for self-exclusion from gambling. To do this, just write to support and ask to block the account for a certain time. The blocking period is usually between 3 and 12 months. The terms of the self-exclusion program allow the gambler to set limits on the game and the amount of deposits made.

Don’t rely solely on willpower. It is optimal to use the tools offered by the casino to restrict access to gambling. Switching attention to other entertainment, active hobbies helps to fight addiction. A gambler can start to learn a new sport, spend time with friends, sign up for a gym.

In situations where it is impossible to cope with the problem on their own, the gambler needs to seek help from relatives or specialists. Assistance to addicted gamblers is provided by various public organizations.

It is important to understand that safe play is not a myth. Some players refer to gambling entertainment only as a kind of recreation. With this approach, winnings become pleasant bonuses.

The characteristics of a safe game include:

• perception of gambling solely as a leisure option;
• playing only in free time without prejudice to family or work;
• full control of finances during the game;
• betting only with your own free money;
• exceptionally positive emotions from the game.

It helps to create conditions for safe play and prevent addiction from following the basic rules.

1. Treat gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money.
2. Set a specific timing for the game. Gambling should be part of the leisure and one of the hobbies, not the only one.
3. Set the amount, the loss of which will be non-critical for personal budget.
4. Before starting the game, determine the daily betting limit.
5. Don’t play in a bad or depressed mood.
6. If the game is unsuccessful, don’t try to recoup, take a break until the next day.
7. Refuse casino promotional materials. Bonuses are usually given to games of chance to encourage players to play those games rather than games of skill, which have a higher chance of winning.

To understand if you are following a responsible gambling strategy, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you ever wanted to bet or invest large sums in the game?
• Have you lied to relatives about how much you spend on games?
• Would you be able to spend “gaming” money on everyday expenses?
• Has your sleep been disturbed by gaming?
• Have you ever played with the goal of forgetting about troubles?
• Have you thought about celebrating some important event with a few hours of play?
• Have you ever borrowed money to play?

Answering “yes” to these questions doesn’t prove 100% that you have a gambling addiction, but they are a good starting point for analyzing your gaming activity. If you suspect that you may have a gambling addiction after answering these questions, you should seek the advice of a professional. Helplines are available for Canadian gamblers.

Gambling addiction is a problem that every gambler can face. It is difficult to identify the dependence at the initial stage. The player does not realize how much time they spend on gambling hobbies and what budgets they spend. It is better to play by the rules at the initial stage. At the first sign of addiction, you should use the self-exclusion program or ask for help from friends, relatives and professionals.