Responsible gambling is a term that characterizes the player’s attitude to gambling entertainment. He urges to use the resources of betting companies and online casinos only for entertainment and not to consider recreation on such resources as a way to make money.
In this way, the game does not harm the well-being of the user and retains its entertaining nature without excluding some risks. Each player can minimize the risks if he limits and controls the game budget.
Responsible gambling can positively influence not only the user of an online casino or sportsbook but also his entire environment.
Three Benefits of Responsible Entertainment
Going forward, gamblers in India will certainly appreciate the attentive and controlling approach to the game.
- You will be able to maintain financial stability – the established gaming budget, which you will not increase or decrease, will allow you to have fun and, at the same time, not spend funds intended for purchases outside of gambling. Put your online casino or sports betting expenses into your regular monthly budget and spend the set amount stress-free.
- You avoid the development of addiction – by setting the time and budget for the game, you follow the limits, respectively, control your actions, and do not follow a blind impulse. You yourself determine what time and which slots you play, which enhances your planning, and you choose the time intervals that are optimal for betting, you are not distracted from other important activities.
- You keep a great mood – with a responsible attitude to games, you do not necessarily have to earn a certain amount of money or win back for a loss, you just spend your leisure time with passion. A light attitude towards wins and losses keeps the fun going.
It is worth noting that you enjoy the game and, at the same time, maintain discipline. Responsible gaming will help you switch off in time, change the type of activity, and do not forget about your health: physical and mental.
How to Know if You Have Gambling Problems
Each player can independently diagnose the development of gambling addiction. If you notice the presence of one or more signs, please contact support and limit the time in the game.
- You spend more and more time in the game and often visit online casino sites, and the time period that you use to play is getting longer. The alarm period is 2 hours or more.
- When you are not playing, you think about gambling: when you go to the site again, how will you choose a machine or betting line, what strategy will you choose to win back, etc. These thoughts do not allow you to concentrate on work, household or family responsibilities, or communications.
- When you miss a game for even one day, you get excited, annoyed, and angry.
- You take money from the family budget or borrow from friends, but you prefer to hide the reason and do not want to answer the question of why you need this money, honestly. In some cases, you tend to steal money in order to play.
Even one of these reasons can cause tension in family relationships or in your friendships. If you feel that your loved ones are “interfering” with your game, it’s time to think about the fact that you are developing an addiction.
Why Gambling Addiction Occurs
Gambling addiction refers to behavior when your interest in gambling directly affects your psychological, material, and physical well-being and destroys friendships and family relationships. With this behavior, the player cannot control his habit and adjusts all the requirements of life to the need to play. He may miss work, take money from the family budget, refuse to spend time with his family, experience sudden mood swings and spend all his free time in the game.
Here are a few reasons that influence the development of addiction:
- influence of the environment – if many peers or acquaintances play and are successful in betting, some players tend to play more and more often in order to increase their winnings and outplay rivals;
- the game, as a way to get distracted over time, captures all the free time, the more problems the player has, the more often he returns to the game in order to avoid negative thoughts;
- fast adrenaline and dopamine give a short-term but very strong sensation of pleasure.
Certain personality traits, such as anxiety or competitiveness, can contribute to the development of addiction.
What to do if you have symptoms of gambling addiction
If you notice one or more signs of addiction or consider yourself at risk for its occurrence, do not be discouraged. Just a few steps will help you better understand the problem and find a productive solution:
- refer to open sources and links that will lead you to materials about gambling – you will learn more about the definition and ways to deal with it, get positive examples and tips on how to play the game at a qualitatively new level;
- contact the casino administration for help – top platforms will definitely offer you links to communities that help addicted players or help you navigate the features of self-exclusion;
- visit a psychologist or consult online (on Hope Care India & Alpha Healing Center platforms, you can learn more about addiction therapy).
Use self-control techniques and stop playing as soon as you notice that it takes over and dictates how much time you need to spend on the casino site or in a particular slot. If your own willpower is not enough, use the technical tools that online gaming platforms offer:
- limit on deposits or betting volumes – is set individually in the user’s personal account in agreement with the support service;
- self-exclusion – you can set a ban on the use of certain sites for a period of a month to a year or more. Entering the site or attempting to place a bet will be automatically blocked;
- use applications such as MYGU (Mobile Monitor Your Gambling Urges) that allow you to accurately track the parameters of your behavior in the game and control their growth, calculate costs, or completely block all online gambling resources.
Do not forget that the main thing in any game of chance is the process itself and your fun, not winning. Don’t think that playing online slots or sports betting can become a full-fledged source of income for you. Take breaks in the game and track your reactions so that you can take control of them in time and play responsibly.