Online gambling should be an enjoyable way to spend your free time. Unfortunately, for a few, it can become a terrible addiction. Thankfully most gamblers will never have to worry about the negative effects that problem gambling can cause, but playing in a responsible way is the way everyone should be approaching online gambling. It’s not just for those that are addicts or at risk of becoming one.
Our websites dedicate a lot of time, effort and marketing to guide our customers and ensure they are having a great time in a safe and sensible way. Losing control can lead to serious consequences so we have a checklist that can help you keep your gambling in perspective.
Take note of the amount of time you spend gambling online. It’s easy to get carried away and it’s not difficult to slowly keep increasing the amount of time you spend without even realizing it.
Set a limit and stick to it. It's good to have a daily, weekly and monthly limit so you know exactly how much you can afford to lose. That way you won't be likely to get yourself into a financial crisis.
By checking this out periodically, you can see your gambling pattern and if you’re increasing or decreasing your bets and expenditure.
If you feel you’re getting too attached to the slots or online games, try abstaining for a while and take part in other activities that you enjoy. It’s best to do this before a problem sets in so you won’t find it so hard to stop.
Only necessary if you feel you have lost control and can’t be trusted to stop yourself from spending time and money online. You can request online or land-based casinos to exclude you temporarily or permanently from playing.
If you like to use this feature when playing games you can pre-set your stake and loss limits as well as automatically being stopped after you hit a jackpot, that way you won’t continue playing and go through all your winnings.
When gambling stops being fun and instead becomes anxiety-filled and stressful.
Now is the time to ask some serious questions:
If these questions sound in any way familiar to you then it’s time to take action. There are confidential quizzes you should take to work out if indeed you do have an addiction, and if so what the next course of action should be. A good quiz is on the BeGambleaware website and the quiz is called ‘Worried about your Gambling’. There is also a gambling calculator which is also very helpful in ascertaining the severity of your gambling.
Firstly you need to admit the problem and genuinely want to get help for yourself. That's the most important hurdle, just realizing that you need help, advice and support is a huge step on the road to making a recovery. The last thing you should do is feel embarrassed. If you are too ashamed to ask for help, you’ll never improve.
