Play responsibly – if the fun stops, stop
Online gambling is supposed to be entertainment and a fun way to spend your time. However, there are times when it becomes more than a fun pastime and the fun stops. If this happens, it’s time to take a break or consider quitting altogether.
We promote responsible gambling. All of the casinos and sports betting sites we cooperate with have the possibility of setting deposit limits, blocking their own accounts for a certain period of time or permanently.
We are not medical professionals, but below we have compiled information on responsible gambling and the problem of gambling. Have a look, think about it and ask for more help if you think you need it!
How to gamble safely
The ten-point list on how to gamble safely is pretty good:
- Don’t think of gambling as a way of making money;
- Only gamble for amounts you can afford to lose;
- Set a limit on how much you can bet in advance;
- Fix the amount of time you want to play in advance;
- Never chase your losses;
- Do not gamble when you are depressed or frustrated;
- Alternate your gambling with other activities;
- Do not take your bank card with you;
- Take frequent breaks;
- Do not drink and use drugs while gambling.
While this list may be more for real casino lovers, this list is also worth considering among online gamblers. We strongly recommend using online casino deposit limits and setting time limits.
Signs of a gambling problem
The definition of a gambling problem, addiction or disorder varies from country to country and from source to source. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) calls it a gambling disorder and defines it as follows: “Gambling disorder involves recurring gambling behaviour that causes significant problems.
According to the APA, a diagnosis of gambling disorder requires at least four of the following in the past year:
- The need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement;
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut back or stop gambling;
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to control, cut or stop gambling;
- Frequent thoughts about gambling (e.g. reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next gambling venture, thinking about ways to get money for gambling);
- Frequent return to gambling in a depressed state;
- Frequently returning to gambling to get even after losing money.
Where to get help
Contact your local 24-hour, confidential helpline.
Rehabilitation Centres for Gambling Addicts
There are several dozen in each country offering help to gambling addicts. Their methods may include:
Personal counselling with a psychologist. He will help the client identify the causes that triggered the disease and set new healthy priorities. Classical as well as innovative methods (e.g. metaphorical associative maps) can be used.
Family counselling. In this case, the addict’s loved ones will learn how to help him or her solve the problem and learn how to avoid behaviours that exacerbate the problem.
Group therapy.
Various methods of gentle therapy: sand therapy, music therapy, halotherapy (being in a salt room), hippotherapy (special methods of horseback riding), art therapy, aromatherapy, etc.
Other methods of influence on the psyche include neurolinguistic programming, coding, hypnosis.
Massage and reflexology.
Medication methods (antidepressants are usually prescribed).
A treatment programme may involve a combination of several modalities chosen individually or consist of a series of pre-designed steps. A number of companies also provide re-socialization, i.e. helping the former gambling addict to return to normal social interaction (sometimes this service includes employment).
Gambling addiction treatment is voluntary. If the patient refuses to acknowledge the problem, his relatives can get advice from a psychologist on how to motivate him to see a specialist.