Responsible Gambling

Responsible gambling is a topic we at Casinomeister have never taken lightly, so that’s why, in the following sections, we’ll dissect responsible gambling at great length. 

We’ll discuss RG tools, give you additional tips for staying away from gambling-related harm, and list essential resources for responsible gambling.

What Is Responsible Gambling?

In its core, responsible gambling almost always refers to a practice of gambling that’s level-headed and decreases the risk of gambling harm. 

But that sounds like a very formal definition of responsible gambling. Something you’d read about in a dictionary.

In practice, gambling responsibly usually means treating gambling as a fun hobby, keeping (and sticking to) a budget set specifically for gambling, and activating the responsible gambling tools as soon as you sign up at a casino. 

In short, responsible gambling is all about minimizing harm. 

How Gambling Addiction Develops

To paint the picture of how exactly gambling addiction develops, we’d need a team of psychologists and neuroscientists on board whispering the words in the background as we hammer away at the keyboard.

Since that’s a bit far fetched, we did what we do best — roll up our sleeves and do the research. 

Here’s what we found out about gambling addiction.

First of all, for a very long time, gambling was seen as an impulse control disorder. This means scientists thought of it the same way they think of kleptomania. Then, they’ve actually realized that gambling is actually way more similar to substance addiction (think drugs, alcohol, nicotine) than a person’s inability to control their own impulses. 

In reality, this means that a person who struggles with gambling addiction may have the same symptoms that people struggling with drug addiction deal with. This means thinking about gambling almost every waking second of the day, progressively increasing the amount of money they deposit at casinos, and ending up super frustrated when they stop gambling. 

But what does all this mean for developing a gambling addiction?

Well, there are several factors at play here. 

The same as with any substance, gambling triggers our brain’s reward system. Everyone and their grandma already knows gambling releases dopamine (aka the reward chemical), meaning you’ll feel particularly ecstatic while doing it. But there’s a catch — your brain doesn’t release dopamine only when you’re on a winning streak, it does the same thing even when you’re losing. 

This is because casino games, compared to every other activity we humans are involved in, are almost always random. And we aren’t exactly used to things being so random. 

Back in the day, when people had to forage for food or look for shelter somewhere in nature, they knew that while risking something extremely valuable (typically their safety) for a reward that was almost never guaranteed. But since the environment in which they were doing so was based on probability, our brains practically evolved to be sensitive to possibilities. 

With gambling not being based on probability at all, and humans basically being hard-wired to look at it from that perspective, it’s easy to see how players end up feeling like they’ve got control over entirely random outcomes by looking for completely unrelated patterns. 

That’s why so many players end up feeling like they’ll eventually win the more they gamble (by relying on non-existent patterns), which, in turn, releases more dopamine, and trains the brain to keep chasing that chemical over and over again. 

Over time, the brain develops something like a ‘dopamine tolerance,’ and players crave more frequent gambling sessions and put down piles of money just to feel something. 

3 Practical Tips to Keep Gambling Fun and Safe

Gambling is far from a one-way street, and there’s usually only so much you, as an individual, can do to keep your gambling habits in check. But, there are a few precautionary measures you can take to make sure you’ve done everything under the sun to avoid your gambling habits getting out of hand. 

Activate responsible gambling tools as soon as you sign up

Some casinos (particularly shady ones) count on you not activating their RG tools until you get to the point of no return. Casinos with high ratings wouldn’t be caught dead doing so, and most of them nudge you to set some kind of limits as soon as you register. 

But, since we can’t foretell where you’ll decide to play, we suggest curbing a casino’s intention to bleed you dry by setting all the limits right from the get-go. It may seem like unnecessary trouble when you’re having fun, but you know what they say — a stitch in time saves nine. 

Have a separate gambling budget

Having and managing a separate gambling budget is non-negotiable if we’re talking responsible gambling. For this purpose, you can either open up a specific bank account just for gambling, or have a dedicated prepaid card (like Paysafecard) that you’d top up only with the amount you plan on gambling with. 

Keep in mind that if you plan on using prepaid cards for depositing, you won’t be able to cash out using the same option. So you’ll still need to have an alternative. 

Gamble with a ‘I’m here to spend money’ attitude

We all know gambling is far from comparable with going clothes shopping or buying a movie theater ticket. Yet, if you approach online casinos knowing you’re there to give them some of your hard-earned money without getting anything in return except for them letting you play games, you definitely increase your chances of remaining cool-headed even if you lose. 

Essential Responsible Gambling Tools

The iGaming market is growing at a breakneck speed, and the numbers clearly show it.

What this means for an average player is that gambling risks exponentially and simultaneously grow, too, so responsible gambling tools should always be your first resort.

Even though no responsible gambling tool is a magic wand, if you handle them the right way, you can minimize your chances of betting outside of your comfort zone. 

Let’s go over some of the most common ones. 

Deposit Limits

Deposit limits let you set a cap on how much money you can deposit into your casino account over a specific period — daily, weekly, or monthly. 

This tool helps you stick to a budget and prevents you from depositing more than you can afford to lose. It’s like having a safety net that protects you from the temptation of overspending.

Most deposit limits, though, work on similar premises. You can change the limit whenever you feel like it, which could definitely cause some trouble in case of problem gambling.

However, most casinos have a hard-wired 24 hours cool-off period before they allow you to increase your deposit limit, as a safety precaution.

Wager Limits

Wager limits control the amount of money you can bet within a certain timeframe. You can set limits per bet, day, week, or month. 

This means that, if you set up a $5 wager limit, you won’t be able to stake more than $5 per spin on a slot machine or place more than $5 worth of chips on a Roulette table.

Similarly to deposit limits, wager limits can be increased, too, but with a 24-hour delay. 

Loss Limits

Loss limits allow you to set the maximum amount you’re willing to lose over a specific period. By setting a loss limit, you’re deciding in advance how much you’re okay with losing, ensuring that you don’t exceed this amount and end up losing more than you planned or can afford.

Sometimes, though, the way loss limits work can depend on a casino.

Some casinos operate using a fixed loss limit. For example, if you set a loss limit of $100, once you deposit and lose $100, you can wager no more until the time period passes. 

However, some casinos will offset any wins against your loss limit. So, if your loss limit was $100, but you deposited $10 and won $200 — you could still make deposits and bet.

Session Limits

Session limits let you set a limit on how long you either stay logged in at a casino or gamble in one sitting. This means that if you set a 1-hour session limit, once that time is up, you’ll be blocked from playing for a certain period of time until they let you log in again. 

Time-outs

Time-out allows you to take a short-term break from gambling activities. It’s particularly useful if you feel like you’re getting too absorbed in gambling or need to take a short break. Time-out periods range from 24 hours to several weeks. 

During this period, you won’t be able to deposit funds, place bets, or receive marketing materials. Many online casinos won’t let you log in to your account during this period.

Self-exclusion 

The self-exclusion process lets you exclude completely from an online casino for 6 months, a year, or even permanently. During this time, you won’t be able to access your account, place bets, or make withdrawals — and your accounts at any other online casinos owned by the same operator will usually be shut, too.

Once you enter into a self-exclusion agreement, it’s binding, and you cannot reverse it until the time period expires. 

Most online gambling regulators now require operators to offer self-exclusion, and the penalties for sites that are found to accept players who are already self-excluded are high, so casinos take it very seriously.

How to Block Gambling Payments From Your Debit Card?

In most cases, if you want to quit gambling you can block gambling payments directly from your debit card app, just by activating a card locking feature for gambling transactions. Sometimes, though, you may have to contact your bank directly and ask for such a restriction. 

Online, you’ll probably find some intermediary apps that could block your gambling payments, but for your own safety, we always recommend going directly to your card issuer and/or bank. 

Who Should Consider a Gambling Treatment Program?

Lots of players hesitate before seeking gambling treatment. The image that follows shows some of the most common barriers to initiating treatment.

Generally speaking, discussing gambling treatment programs is a task for professionals. That’s because each gambling scenario is a case-by-case kind of thing, and they’re the most educated ones to assess whether a player requires treatment. 

As a rule of thumb, if you catch yourself actively thinking about increasing your gambling time (and your budget), feel like it’s interfering with your day-to-day life in any shape or form, and notice your mental well-being starting to become affected by gambling, reaching out to a professional and seeking gambling treatment should be your next step. 

What Happens If Gambling Treatment Is Not Working?

If you notice yourself hitting a bump in the road and going back to casinos despite receiving treatment for a gambling problem, your first point of contact should always be your health professional. 

Available Responsible Gambling Help

The responsible gambling help that’s typically available will largely vary depending on player location. For starters, you can always refer to our Responsible gambling directory, or comb through the following list:

FAQs

What is self-exclusion in gambling?

Self-exclusion is a responsible gambling tool that gives you the option to request being banned from an operator for a certain amount of time (anywhere from 6 months to a couple of years). 

How to block gambling ads on social media?

If you want to block gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram, these are the steps:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy,
2. Then, find the Settings option,
3. Go to the Meta Accounts Center,
4. Find the Ad preferences option,
5. Go to Ad topics,
6. Next look for Special topics,
7. See if Gambling is selected, and deselect it.

If you want to do the same on YouTube, you have to be logged in to your Google Account first. Then, go to My Ad Center and look for the Customize Ads option. In case Gambling is selected under Sensitive ads, you’ll need to deselect it. 

What is the purpose of responsible gaming? 

The main purpose of responsible gaming is to keep players away from gambling harm. 

How to be a responsible gambler?

To be a responsible gambler, try not to gamble beyond your means, never treat gambling as a way to earn money, and always have responsible gambling tools in place. 

How can I track my gambling spending and time?

Some online casinos already have features that can help you track exactly how much money and time you’ve spent playing there. But despite this being a handy tool, it won’t exactly help you track your gambling activities elsewhere since it’s limited to one specific gambling platform. 

In that case, your second-best option is to resort to budget management apps and time trackers. Google Play Store and App Store are swarming with different tools for this purpose, and you’ll likely find free-to-use options quite easily.

If you’re old-school (like most of us here), you can also just use a notebook and a timer to jot down the duration and the money spent during each gaming session. 

Is it possible to gamble responsibly?

Many factors can affect whether you can gamble responsibly. But if you pay close attention to your gambling habits, have RG tools activated at all times, keep track of your gambling budget, and never chase losses, you’re already taking some precautionary measures to decrease the chances of gambling harm.