Responsible Gambling: Six Questions to Put to Oneself
Casino play costs money in the long run, whatever the game, the staking pattern or the bonus. Six questions help a player to see whether the cost is still one that was chosen. A single doubtful answer is a reason to review habits, and several are a reason to stop and talk to someone.
Was the money meant for something else?
Money that is needed for any other obligation does not belong in a gambling balance. A budget should be fixed before the first deposit from income that can be spared, kept apart from living costs and treated as spent once it has been used. A win is not an extension of the budget and gives no licence to exceed it.
Is the session longer or the stake larger than planned?
A time limit set before play starts is easier to keep than one decided in the middle of a session. The account offers deposit limits, session reminders, temporary breaks and self-exclusion, requested in the account settings or through live chat. The options and periods should be read in the account area before the first deposit, and the first limit should be one that can actually be kept. A lowered limit applies at once, while an increase normally waits through a cooling-off period.
Tools outside the casino strengthen the ones inside it. Saved cards can be removed from the cashier and the browser, content-blocking software can be installed on every device, and gambling money can be held on a separate payment method with a fixed amount so that the budget cannot be topped up from other accounts. A trusted person can also be given sight of statements.
Is a deposit being made to win back a loss?
Chasing a loss with a larger deposit is the clearest single warning sign. The same goes for deposits made in anger or under the influence of alcohol, for credit taken in order to play and for a limit that was raised in the middle of a losing session. Any one of these is a reason to stop at once. The account’s break function exists for exactly these moments and should be requested before the next session starts, with the casino’s marketing messages switched off for its duration.
Is the bonus driving the play?
A bonus with wagering requires many bets before funds are released, so it lengthens play and raises the amount staked. A player who feels pressure to finish wagering may forfeit the bonus, which is always allowed. Accepting an offer mainly in order to prolong a session is itself a warning sign.
Is play being hidden?
Concealing gambling from family, or describing it inaccurately, together with irritability or anxiety when play stops, points to a problem that is no longer about entertainment. Gambling Therapy offers online support in several languages, and national helplines operate in most countries. A reader should use the service of the country of residence; its number can be found on the website of the national regulator or of the public health service. In a crisis involving self-harm, emergency services should be called at once. Contacting a helpline is confidential.
Relatives can use the same independent services. Useful steps are to raise the matter without accusation, to separate shared finances where necessary, to avoid clearing gambling debts without conditions and to seek advice for themselves, since harmful gambling affects the whole household.
A break of 24 hours to several weeks suits a player who wants a pause, while self-exclusion is a longer commitment. The choice between them depends on whether the problem is a bad session or a pattern; a pattern calls for the longer measure and for outside support rather than willpower alone.
Who else can reach the account?
Gambling is prohibited for persons under the legal age. Devices and cashier credentials should be kept out of the reach of minors, and parental-control software adds a barrier. Self-exclusion lasts for a period of at least six months in the usual case and cannot be reversed before it ends; during it, no account should be opened elsewhere, and the exclusion tools of other operators and national registers should be used where they exist.
A monthly check
Once a month a short review shows patterns before they harden: how much was deposited in total, how much was lost, how many hours were spent and whether any deposit was made to recover a loss. If the total exceeds the budget, or if any deposit was made for recovery, the limits should be lowered and a break taken.
If the answers to these questions are unclear, they can be written down for a week and read back. Numbers on paper are harder to dismiss than impressions, and the same record is useful to a counsellor.
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