CasinoNearYou Responsible Gambling
It cannot be denied that the popularity of online gambling has long ago overtaken land-based casinos in their market presence and what is more, it continues to grow. Meanwhile, the issue of problem gambling has made its way from within the walls of traditional casinos to Internet venues as well. Although most players see playing online as a way to spend their leisure time, some individuals suffer from problematic gambling behavior. The need to protect these vulnerable players gave rise to the term Responsible Gaming and that is exactly what this page is devoted to.
Most players are unlikely to ever experience such problem. And still, being responsible when playing online is not confined to those who are at risk of developing problematic behavior or already have this problem. This is the correct approach everyone is recommended to adopt.
All the gambling providers we recommend to our readers practice responsible gambling. Many of them offer a set of tools to help players keep the process of playing safe and fun:
- Reality checks: prompts and time-outs to control the amount of time spent playing.
- Deposit limits: you can set a limit for the amount of money you spend. You can choose between hourly, daily, or monthly limits, as well as increase, decrease, and remove any of them.
- Activity history: you will be able to see the history and statistics related to your gambling activity, as well as keep track of your transactions, deposits, and withdrawals.
- Break period. If you wish, you can set a break lasting from 24 hours to several weeks.
- Self-Exclude. Players can self-exclude and stop gambling completely. The period of self-exclusion can range between six months to five years or more.
- Autoplay controls. Before using the autoplay feature, you will need to set your stake and loss limits. Also, you can set the game to pause when you win a prize so that you don’t waste any of your winnings.
How do I know I might have a problem?
Sometimes it is easy not to notice that you might have a trouble. If you are not sure whether you are still keeping playing under control, pay attention to the following:
- The amount of time you spend playing. If you are staying away from work or some other activities, this is a warning sign.
- How big is you stake. Do you feel the need to increase it to get the excitement you seek?
- How you feel when you are not playing. Do you experience mood swings, irritability, or similar feelings?
- Why you gamble. Are you playing to let yourself forget about problems in your life?
- How honest you are. Have you ever claimed to win when it was not true, in fact? Have you ever lied or committed any other act of dishonesty to finance playing? Are you hiding the fact you keep gambling from other people?
- How you finance gambling. Have you ever had any debts related to gambling? Do you ever borrow money or sell any possessions to keep playing or pay back gambling debts?
- How you keep your promises. Did you ever come back to playing in spite of the promise not to do this you gave to family, friends, or yourself?
If at least one of these statements is true in your case, your gambling might indeed become a problem.
What should I do if I think I might have a problem?
The main thing in this case is to be honest with yourself. Clearly assess the situation and accept it as it is. In some cases, this is enough to resume control and completely forget about the problem. However, if you feel you are unable to cope with this challenge on your own, do not hesitate to ask for advice or professional help.
Several tips to help you keep gambling under control
- Mark each day you are not gambling in a calendar so that you could see your progress
- Make a small present for yourself or your family for money you saved during “gaming free” periods
- Ask a person you trust to help you plan your budget or handle your money over a certain period of time
- Set limits on your deposits or the amount of time you spend gambling. Most game providers listed on our site offer tools allowing to do this
- If all your attempts to control gambling fail, stop gambling completely or take an appropriate break. In some cases, self-exclusion is the only right option.