Responsible gambling - how to prevent a gambling addiction

What is responsible gambling? 

Responsible gambling, also known as responsible gaming or responsible gambling, is simply put: making sure gambling remains a game. Gambling should be fun at all times and not cause problems or harm - either personally or financially. How to do that? By being aware of the pitfalls of gambling and acting accordingly. Responsible gaming! 

The term responsible gambling is also used for the package of measures and provisions to prevent a gambling addiction. All providers are legally obliged to offer their games of chance responsibly, the so-called duty of care. 

In online casinos you will often find such information under the heading responsible gam(bl)ing. If there is no such section, ask yourself if you are playing on a reliable gambling site. Just to ensure the reliability of online casino sites, better check for independent reviews at a site like australian-online-casino before choosing.

How do you recognize a gambling addiction?

As long as gambling remains a game it is fun, but sometimes it gets out of hand. The moment you lose control, we speak of a gambling addiction, also called problem gambling or ludomania. This can be recognized by one or more of the following symptoms: 

• You no longer play for pleasure, but obsessively. A lot of time and money goes into gambling: to quell the constant desire to play (craving), deal with problems, recover losses, pay off debts or something similar. It is difficult to cut down, impossible to stop. 
• You have psychological problems due to gambling. You are under tension and experience a lot of stress because you are constantly busy with gambling. This leads to symptoms such as nervousness, distrust, anxiety, depression and worse. 
• You have social problems because of gambling. Gambling is the most important thing in your life, the rest is uninteresting and colorless. This leads to conflicts in both private and professional spheres.
• You have physical problems because of gambling. Because everything is dominated by gambling you develop an unhealthy lifestyle. In combination with stress, this causes the necessary physical complaints: headaches, gastrointestinal problems, tremors, sweating, etc. 
• You have money problems because of gambling. You put yourself in debt just to keep gambling. That one financial hit has to happen soon, right? 

Do you recognize yourself or a loved one in these symptoms? Then seek professional help immediately. At the bottom of this article, you'll find several help agencies to get on with it right away. This is important, because a gambling problem is very serious. 

Helping someone with a gambling addiction

As the neighbor of someone with a gambling addiction, it is not easy to actually help a loved one with their addiction. Many addicts deny their gambling problem and constantly look for excuses to justify their playing behavior. Thus, they remain stuck in their bad habits. With all the risks this entails, for themselves and those around them. Gambling addiction is a 'family disease' - the gambler is addicted to gambling, the rest to the gambler.

Four helpful tips to help a gambling addict: 

1. Make the addict responsible for his problem. Don't give him excuses to justify his behavior. In fact, the addict has an interest in denying his problem, because then he doesn't have to deal with it. By making him responsible instead, there are no more excuses. 
2. Leave the consequences of playing behavior with the addict. Why change if you don't suffer any disadvantages? Right! That's why it's important not to keep solving the addict's problems. Make a conscious choice to let the problem player "swim" and do his own thing. It is the only way to get the addict motivated to do something about his problem. 
3. Set clear boundaries for the addict. Show clearly what you can and cannot accept. Attach clear consequences to this as well. Don't say 'if you make too much of it, that's it' but 'if you gamble again, you have to leave the house'. Only when an addict actually feels the consequences of his gambling behavior, then there is the will to change. 
4. Learn to communicate with the addict. Communication is key. As a neighbor of a problem addict you often tend to get angry, while that is counterproductive. An addict already thinks negatively about himself and such communication will only reinforce that. Put the responsibility on the addict himself, but make him feel like he matters. For example, say, "I choose for myself by distancing myself from you as long as you continue to gamble. However, should you seek help, I am here for you.'

Legal minimum age for gambling and the protection of minors

It is possible to gamble legally from the age of 18. This is the age at which you are an adult or at least considered to be one. Casinos and arcades, by the way, do have the leeway to apply a different entry age.

Also online casinos, the door is open only to players 18 years and older. Reliable bookmakers and online casinos are required to verify your age at registration as part of their Know Your Customer procedure. Those who do not pass this check can blow the whistle on their own gaming account. 

Blocking gambling sites for vulnerable players 

It is also possible to keep the door of online casinos closed yourself. With "blocking software" you can easily lock certain websites. Useful for yourself as a problem player, but also for other vulnerable groups (eg minors). We list the best tools for blocking gambling sites:  

• Net Nanny: the application for parents to block specific websites for their offspring. Very simple and effective: select on the basis of content (alcohol, gambling, porn, etc.) the sites you want to block and Net Nanny does the rest. The software checks in real time whether a website is acceptable or not. Net Nanny is available for all operating systems and has prices ranging from $40 to $5 per device per year, depending on the package selected. 
• Gamban: simple tool to block gambling sites, for both mobile (Android, iOS, iPadOS) and desktop (Windows, macOS). All online casinos are instant no-go zones with the push of a button. Gamban is already available for 30 euros per year, but can also be tried for free for 7 days first.
• Betblocker: free program to block gambling websites, to be used on any device. Betblocker uses a database of gambling sites that is updated weekly. 

Now, however, don't think that blocking gambling sites will get you rid of your gambling problems. Blocking software is a powerful prevention tool, not a panacea. It is a first step in the right direction, but real recovery requires professional help. 

Resources for responsible gambling online 

Online casinos offer players various tools to play responsibly throughout their visit. These are simple tools like play limits, reality checks, self-tests, time outs and even self-exclusion. We'll run through them briefly below: 

Play limits

Scientific research has shown that the use of playing limits encourages responsible gambling. They provide more control over your money and time. This way you never play with cash you can't afford to lose and it is also harder to lose yourself in the game. 

Deposit limit 

Many players use a deposit limit to manage their expenses. With this feature, you are bound by a maximum amount that you can deposit over a day, a week or a month. Depositing more during this period is also not possible. The deposit limit easily gives you more control over your spending. 

Loss Limit

Gambling is still a game of profit and loss. To limit your losses, there is the loss limit. This allows you to set the maximum amount you want to lose over a period of 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. A very useful tool to not go over your budget. 

Gambling Limit 

A different means, the same result. Because also with a wagering limit you control your costs optimally. With a wagering limit you set a maximum amount to play for a day, week or month. If you gamble more than your limit, your account will be locked until the end of the specified period. 

Session / Time Limit

Time flies, especially when you're having fun. However, if you find that you're spending too much time in the casino, a session aka time limit will help. This allows you to set exactly how long you want to gamble for: 1 hour, 2 hours, 8 hours or longer. A great way not to let gambling rule your life, provided you choose a short session limit. 

Transaction History

Check the transaction history in your gaming profile for an accurate picture of your gambling behavior. Here you can instantly see a history of your last transactions, deposits and withdrawals. Useful to get an insight into how much you actually spend on gambling online. At some casinos, you can even use the win/loss history to calculate what you're actually left with. 

Reality check

Tend to lose yourself in gambling? With the reality check feature, that's a thing of the past. This feature automatically stops the game and shows a pop-up with the time you have been active. You can (often) set the frequency of these notifications yourself. Only after you have confirmed that you have read the message can you continue playing. Reality checks are a great way to hold a mirror up to yourself while gambling.

Self-test 

Under the guise that "prevention is better than cure" you regularly take a close look at your own playing behavior. This can of course be done by taking a self-critical look at your gambling habits, but also by checking this. Many casinos offer simple self-assessment tests to determine your gambling risk. Do you have a gambling problem? Then seek professional help immediately! 

Time Out - Self-Exclusion 

If despite the above tools you still lose control, then it is possible to ban yourself from your favorite casino online. This can be a short break ("time out"), but also a long or unlimited period ("self-exclusion"). This gives you a nice big stick to keep you from gambling.