What is Responsible Gambling?
In general, gambling is a social activity that can be undertaken only for entertainment. Gamblers play casino games with their friends and family on anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebratory occasions.
However, gambling becomes a problem when players start using it as a source of income, or when they use it to escape from an existing mental condition. Self-help programs assigned by responsible gambling councils were specifically introduced to help people who fall in this category.
Since the enticing promotions and games offered by online casinos are quite irresistible, they are encouraged to promote the responsible gambling programs side by side to support players who have problems. Usually, the casinos collaborate with a group of responsible gambling councils in this case. Casino must provide player with information about responsible gaming, various responsible gaming tools and information about help options. This is one of the most important aspects that is taken into account in the casino evaluation process.
Sad but true, most gamblers who are playing in casinos for the wrong reasons are not aware of their negative gambling habits. For that reason, it becomes challenging to guide them towards positive gambling practices.
With that being said, some responsible gambling tips include the following traits:
- Practicing responsible gambling self-exclusion from time to time.
- Not using it as a source of income.
- Setting healthy financial and time limits against it.
- Gambling with money that is not used to pay for basic necessities of life (such as school tuition, monthly grocery, utility bills, transportation cost, and rent).
Who is at Risk
Due to advancements in technology, online gambling has become overtly accessible to people of different nationalities. You can have 24/7 access to the games and can play anytime from anywhere.
In addition, ruthless marketing techniques of online casinos are always encouraging players to gamble through emails, texts, and various bonus programs. With all of these going on, it can be hard for players with problems to avoid the grip of online gambling!
To be precise, everybody is at risk of problem gambling. A seemingly healthy person can become addicted to gambling, and start suffering financially over the years. The adrenaline to win and make money may even transform a sane individual into a sick person.
Given that, the individuals with an increased risk of habituating gambling problems are:
- Young adults who are susceptible to trends and advertisements.
- People with existing mental disorders.
- Those who are addicted to substances, like alcohol and drugs.
Emotional Reasons
Before we proceed with our responsible gambling tips, gamblers must understand the emotional triggers behind developing a gambling problem. The more aware you are of your emotional situation, the more control you will have over your gambling addiction.
In case you have found some correlation with any of the emotional reasons below, don’t fret just yet! There are multiple ways to overcome gambling addiction, and we will discuss them elaborately later in this article.
For now, here are the main emotional triggers that end up developing a gambling problem for gamblers of all ages, ethnicity, gender, and health conditions:
Mental Health Problems
People with pre-existing mental health issues are subject to gambling addiction more so than others. The disease can negatively affect their lives in many ways. Therefore, they must become more aware of their conditions, and strive to manage the disease.
Besides, compulsive gambling is highly prevalent in people diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Influence of Family and Friends
Your family and friends may have a gambling problem, and you may have absorbed their toxic habits onto yourself. Even if you are close to them, and you care for them, if their bad habits are affecting you unfavourably, you should distance yourself from them.
Use of Certain Prescribed and Unprescribed Medication
Prescribed drugs that are known as dopamine agonists are often responsible for producing compulsive gambling behaviours in patients who take them. These drugs are used to treat Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, clinical depression, hyperprolactinemia, and low sex drive.
Needless to say, excessive consumption of alcohol and psychoactive drugs can compel an individual to gamble without concern for his/her own health or finance.
Personality Attributes
Even certain personal attributes may impel an individual to gamble incessantly at his/her own peril. People who become restless or bored easily can find themselves chasing losses or browsing different casino games to kill time.
Impulsive and highly competitive people may have trouble stopping themselves from continuing to bet even after losing multiple times. Losing in casino games may bother them so much to the point they become obsessed with winning.
Coping from a Loss
In general, life doesn’t always go well. We lose jobs, academic opportunities, and significant relationships. Some people may find solace in online gambling to get away from life’s troubles.
How to Identify Symptoms
Gambling addiction can be identified when you feel an incessant urge to gamble despite all its negative experiences. Bad experiences can manifest in the form of continuous losing, and splurging expenses usually saved for daily needs.
Some common consequences of gambling addiction are relationship discord and financial debts. The thrill of risk-taking during gambling can take over the person, which acts the same as a psychoactive drug. For that reason, it becomes hard for the individual to separate oneself from the grasp of addiction.
When you look at the bleak reality of gambling addiction, it makes sense to steer clear of it. However, you don’t have to become a victim of gambling addiction unnecessarily. You can avoid it, and even be cured of it if you take the right steps forward.
Here is a list of questions you must ask yourself to identify the symptoms of gambling addiction:
- Are you spending an increased amount of time gambling online?
- Are you constantly thinking and planning on how to win more money through online gambling?
- Has any of your peers expressed their concern about your gambling habit?
- Do you feel the urge to win back the money you have lost in the game by depositing more?
- Do you find yourself lying to people about the amount of money you spent on online gambling?
- Do you usually lie about the time you spend on online gambling?
- Do you suffer from depression, agitation, anxiety, stomach pain, headaches, and stress when you are not gambling?
- Have you committed any crime to fund your gambling habits?
- Did you ever attempt to stop your gambling habits?
- Do you have a large sum of debt caused by your gambling tendency?
- Did you borrow money from your peers to gamble before?
- Do you ignore family and work responsibilities due to your preoccupation with gambling?
- Do you struggle to finish tasks or experience a lack of concentration at work?
- Have you lost any significant relationship, career, or academic opportunities because of gambling?
Healthy Practices
| Healthy Practices | Methods |
|---|---|
| Learn about responsible gambling | Responsible gambling councils, wellness-focused programs |
| Check-in with your emotions | Journaling, meditating, yoga |
| Avoid triggers to compulsive gambling | Set daily or weekly time limits on gambling, strictly budget yourself, prioritize school, work, and relationships over gambling |
| Find alternatives to gambling addiction | Go to the gym, jog in the park, take a stroll outside, volunteer at hospitals or animal shelters, nurture your hobbies and talents, responsible gambling self-exclusion |
| Avoid people with gambling problems | Move out or seek help for the family who has this problem, change your social circles |
Used sources
The Casinoforcanada.com team aims to provide high quality information. To ensure this, reliable and high-quality information sources are always used. The following sources are used in this article:
- Responsible gambling: Wikipedia
The article complies with all the editorial principles of Casinoforcanada.com. In case of inaccuracies, contact the Casinoforcanada.com team using the following contact form. We will be glad to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you promote responsible gambling?
Many interventions are available to gamblers from responsible gambling councils and wellness-focused programs in Canada. Some of them are responsible gambling self-exclusion programs, player education programs, marketing of responsible gambling tips, limit-setting tools, psychosocial treatment, and awareness campaigns.
The provincial governments are in charge of handling and managing casinos and sports betting sites in the country. However, personal issues regarding shame, stigma, lack of knowledge, miseducation, denial, and unwillingness to solve the problem may get in the way of promoting responsible gambling in Canada.
With that being said, the best ways to stimulate the idea is by increasing public awareness about the risks of irresponsible gambling through different media channels, and by delivering responsible gambling tips on online casinos and betting sites.
How to set limits in online casino?
According to responsible gambling councils, establishing player limits in online casinos and sports betting sites is one of the best ways to reduce gambling addiction. The authorities can also ensure that this rule is added to all respectable and certified casinos in Canada.
Here are some of the best gambling limits to place in every Canadian casino:
Betting Limit
It works by setting a limit on the amount of money players can bet on a table game, live game, or slots.
Time Limit
It limits the amount of time players can spend on a particular casino or sports betting website. This feature should also be included in the mobile version of the casino. Ideally, a player should not be allowed to spend more than 4 hours per day.
Loss Limit
Imposing a loss limit will ensure that gamblers won’t be able to get caught in the ‘chasing losses’ trap. Starting this feature after logging in will serve as one of the best responsible gambling tips of our time!
Deposit Limit
Another awesome way to set a limit on online casinos is by putting a limit on the number of deposits that can be made per day. By limiting the amount of money that can be deposited daily, the players will find another way to spend time, instead of loitering in the casino site or app.
Which organizations help with gambling addiction in Canada?
Although you can practice responsible gambling self-exclusion on your own, seeking outside help may benefit you in more ways than possible! The notable organizations in Canada that provide assistance with gambling addiction are:
- Gambling Therapy
- GamTalk
- Connex Ontario
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
- RecoverMe app for Android and iPhone
Liam Bergeron
Liam started his first years as a sportsbook reviewer. Working in this area led him to write about online casinos, which he’s been doing for the last eight years. Nowadays, he works at Casinoforcanada.com, reviewing the best casinos available in Canada, giving special priority to the security of each casino.
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