Responsible Gambling

When was the last time you gambled at slots? You’ve almost certainly visited a casino, either online or in person. Each player may find their preferred game: slots, roulette, blackjack, or poker. Casinos’ fundamental goal, regardless of how profitable they are, is to amuse and entertain their registered users. Most participants are aware of this and, as a result, play responsibly. These players have a strong strategy that has resulted in a profit over time. You risk developing a gambling addiction the moment you cross that boundary. We hope you enjoy your time at online casinos and that you take advantage of their offers. Consider the following if you or someone you know is having gambling problems.

What Does It Mean to Play Responsibly?

In its most basic form, responsible gambling is playing within one’s means and minimizing losses to tolerable levels. While online gambling may be fun, gamers should be cautious using any online gaming site. Making sensible judgments about how much to wager, how long to play, and so on is part of gambling responsibly. Responsible gamblers always follow these rules:

• Choose an amount to invest before playing – Before you begin playing, set a spending limit for yourself to help guide your decisions. Reinvest your previous session’s gains only if you can afford to lose them.
• Set time limits to spend in a casino – Limit the amount of time you intend to spend gambling, even if you have a lot of free time. Limiting your time to no more than a few hours is a good idea.
• Avoid playing when you are stressed – It’s not nice to play when angry, whether you’ve had too much to drink or someone’s behavior has upset you.
• Use your own money to gamble – If you’re going to gamble, always gamble with money you can afford to lose. Do not sell assets or take out loans. Also, never go into debt or sell your belongings to do so.

How to Identify a Gambling Problem

Symptoms can express themselves in a variety of ways in an addicted person. The following are some warning indicators of a gambling problem:

• Review the deposit limits you set yourself – Have you discovered that you are losing more money than you anticipated while gambling? Have you surpassed the deposit limitations you set? Such signs might indicate a gambling issue.
• Playing with money intended for other purposes – It is never a good idea to spend money that you need for something else, whether it’s for rent or groceries. The issue is that those resources are used in play regardless of the outcome.
• You don’t find playing in casinos fun – You can’t relax and have fun at the casino because your mind is constantly racing with ideas of recouping your losses.
• Lying to others about where you are – It’s dishonest to pretend you have other plans and avoid going out with friends or your loved ones just to spend the evening gaming instead of catching up with them.
• Missing your appointments – Being consistently late for work or missing a loved one’s birthday are major signs of gambling addiction.
• Changes in your behavior – You’ve grown more tense, irritable, or melancholy than normal, and you’re aware it’s impacting your behavior.
• You can’t stop thinking about playing – You can’t help but think about getting back into the game no matter where you go or what you do.
• Your finances are poor – You’re in a financial bind, and if gaming has had a considerable impact on your bank account, it might indicate a larger issue.
• Someone pointed out the issue – The possibility that you have a gambling issue was raised as something you should consider.

On the internet, you may also take free self-assessment tests to learn more about your current state. These tools might help you evaluate your risk of having a gambling problem.

How to Ask for Help

If you’re willing to get help, that’s a significant step forward. Our team here at SlotoTimes has put up a list of possible measures you may take to start recovering from your addiction.

Use Self-Restriction Tools

Serious online casinos are concerned not just with providing enticing features but also with adhering to legal gaming regulations. After getting a license, gambling sites are expected to collaborate with regulating organizations such as the UK Gambling Commission. Plenty of sites allow you to establish deposit limits, timeouts, and other limitations with a few mouse clicks. Once you’ve logged in, you can access these tools from the main menu. On top of that, here are some independent self-restriction tools that help out players:

• GamBlock – GamBlock is a tool that restricts access to gaming websites across several platforms.
• Count Me Out – With the aid of the tool Count Me Out, it is possible to self-exclude from gambling.

Asking for Advice and Support

Fighting a gambling addiction on your own is difficult, so don’t be afraid to get help if you think you need it. You may get additional information from the sources listed below:

• GambleAware – This is a website dedicated to assisting persons who have gambling issues. They provide a 24-hour helpline and live chat to assist people in need.
• Gambling Therapy – Gambling Therapy is another option for those who have gambling problems, offering psychological counseling and support.
• Debt Advice Foundation – The Debt Advice Foundation is an excellent resource if you need help finding out how to get out from under your gambling debt.
• Gamblers Anonymous – Joining Gamblers Anonymous is the ideal method to meet other individuals going through similar challenges as you.

There are other additional forums and resource directories available on the internet. Networking with other players and professionals may provide the emotional and moral support you require to move on from a difficult personal circumstance.

Help By State

New Jersey

COUNCIL ON COMPULSIVE GAMBLING OF NEW JERSEY
3635 Quakerbridge Rd., Suite 7
Hamilton, NJ 08619
Tel: 609.588.5515
Fax: 609.588.5665
Website: www.800gambler.org
Helpline: 1.800.GAMBLER (246.2537)

Pennsylvania

COUNCIL ON COMPULSIVE GAMBLING OF PENNSYLVANIA, INC
P.O. Box 444
Spring House, PA 19477
Tel: 215.643.4542
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pacouncil.com
Helpline: 800.848.1880

Michigan

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION ON PROBLEM GAMBLING
1128 Wethersfield Dr. S
Portage, MI 49002
Tel: 517.672.6904
Fax: 734.720.9525
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.michapg.com
Helpline: 1-800-270-7117
Contact: Michael Burke

West Virginia

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is responsible for general health and/or addiction services in this state, and may also have information on problem gambling.
The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia is a program created by the West Virginia Legislature to identify and provide services to problem gamblers and their loved ones. The program is funded by the West Virginia Lottery and administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

Connecticut

CONNECTICUT COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING
100 Great Meadow Road, Suite 704
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Tel: 959.230.4034
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ccpg.org
Helpline: 888.789.7777

Delaware

DELAWARE COUNCIL ON GAMBLING PROBLEMS
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 303
Wilmington, DE 19801-1677
Tel: 302.655.3261
Fax: 302.984.2269
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.deproblemgambling.org
Helpline: 888.850.8888
Text: Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm, 302.438.8888
Chat: Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm, www.dcgp.org