Gambling Addiction: Detailed Guide to Responsible Gambling

Online casinos have several tricks that they use to keep their players. What is natural is that players want to play as long as possible, financially speaking. Some tricks are more obvious than others, but more often than not, the marketing moves are quite difficult to guess. In this section, you’ll read about the various tricks casinos use to lure players in and get them to play on their sites over and over again.

Some casinos publish on the main page of the site lists of recent winners. Usually these lists feature the players, the amount of their winnings and the games in which they were obtained. This gives players confidence that they will be among the next winners. This marketing technique often causes players to try their luck again and again.

“Just a little more and win!” The next aspect cannot fully be called a casino gimmick, as the sites themselves as well as the slot creators cannot control it, but it often provokes players to keep playing. Let’s say that in order to get a big win in the slot, you need to knock out four of the same symbols on the reels. And so the first three are already in place, the last reel rotates, the tension increases, but the coveted symbol does not fall out, and the payline does not add up. This is what this “move” is all about: waiting for the decisive moment gives the player an extra sense of excitement. In this case, the player may be more inclined to try to play and win with the next spin of the reels.

It is important to remember that the fact that small winnings appear on the slot reels does not mean that you are about to break the big score, because some slot machines are designed only for small payouts.

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Tips for Establishing a Healthy Relationship with Casinos

This chapter is about how to protect yourself from possible problems when playing at an online casino. There are a number of precautions players should take to protect themselves from situations, in which they may be vulnerable while spending time at an online casino.

Control Your Playing Time

Keeping track of time is one of the most important measures to maintain a proper relationship with the casino. It is very easy to lose track of time when your head is busy with an exciting slot or blackjack game at a live casino, so setting a game time limit is a wise decision. It will help you avoid spending all of your free time just playing.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing vestibulum. Fringilla nec accumsan eget, facilisis mi justo, luctus pellentesque.

Take Regular Breaks

As with anything in life, it’s important to take regular “breaks” in the game to catch your breath and start a new session with renewed energy. Even something as simple and quick as pouring yourself a cup of tea or coffee will have a good effect. You’ll be distracted and give your eyes a break from the artificial light of the monitor screen.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing vestibulum. Fringilla nec accumsan eget, facilisis mi justo, luctus pellentesque.

Reduce the Speed of the Game

Reducing the speed at which you play, say, slots, will not only help you control your budget, but it will also slow down the game and therefore allow you to make better, more informed decisions. It’s much more effective to play at a slow speed right away than to slow it down after you’ve been in the game for a while, as a sudden change in game speed may not appeal to some players.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing vestibulum. Fringilla nec accumsan eget, facilisis mi justo, luctus pellentesque.

In order to determine if casino gaming is your harmless hobby or if it shows signs of a developing problem, answer the following questions: How do I feel when I play at an online casino? How do I feel at the end of the game? How often do I think about gambling? What emotions do I feel when I play at the casino (calm, joy, excitement)?

Be completely honest with yourself when answering these questions, as this will help you determine what type of online casino player you are.

Always Play When You Are in a Sober State of Mind

Drugs and alcohol have a negative effect on your judgment and since playing online casinos can cost you real money, it pays to stay sober at all times. When playing while drunk, players are more prone to impulsive decisions, ignoring set game limits and lack of time control.

Never Play Casino Games to Run Away from Problems

Playing online casino games to escape from reality is a bad idea and should be avoided by all possible means. As we said earlier, casino games are nothing more than entertainment and the proper degree of moderation should be observed. To distract yourself, try something more effective, such as a walk or a trip, which can help you free yourself from your piling up problems.

Never Try to Get Even

As we mentioned earlier, trying to win back, i.e. to win back the money you’ve lost by betting more and more often, is guaranteed to put you in a negative state of mind, which can also affect other areas of your life. Set a budget that you can spend on casino games and stick to the amount you determine to avoid unwanted gambling behavior. By choosing such “tactics” you will not only be putting yourself at risk, but you will also be spending money on the game in excess of your set budget, leading to a snowball effect of negative emotions and feelings.

Never Play at a Casino in a Bad Financial Situation

Playing at an online casino to get out of financial trouble is a slippery slope that should be avoided in every way possible. Losing money at a casino will only make your current financial situation more difficult. Casino gambling may have one sole purpose – entertainment. Any other reason is likely to make you regret playing and quite possibly leave you worse off financially.

Getting Help

If you think you or a loved one has a gambling addiction, it’s important to understand that it’s an illness. Most jurisdictions that offer legal gaming have systems in place that provide the required resources to players who need help, as well as the support of numerous, specially trained professionals who help people with signs of gambling addiction.

If you want to talk to someone immediately about your situation, you should know that many countries have hotlines that will provide you with resources, information, and instructions on how you should seek further help. Generally, these phone lines are completely free and available 24 hours a day to anyone who may need help.

Many people suffering from gambling addiction seek out and find self-help groups where they can discuss their problems with others who have suffered (or are suffering) from the same problems to find an acceptable solution. Gamblers Anonymous and Bettors Anonymous are two popular and free organizations that offer communication and healing options for people suffering from gambling addiction. Also worth mentioning is the Gam-Anon group, which was specifically created for family members who have a family member with a gambling addiction problem.

For help, you may want to see a doctor who specializes in gaming addiction problems and other similar disabilities. Outpatient treatment is available in many cases, and local authorities often provide help for those who cannot afford to pay for such services.

Even if you are not sure if you have such a problem, you may have reached the point where you are no longer confident in your ability to control your urge to gamble, even if you cannot afford it. In that case, you can add yourself to self-exclusion lists that will help you avoid gambling even if you want to place bets. Most local jurisdictions (and specific casinos) maintain lists, being on which will help you legally stay out of the casino, either permanently or for a certain period of time. Most online sites will also allow you to self-exclude from their games, and in regulated jurisdictions, government agencies that oversee the Internet gambling industry may also maintain their own lists to help you stay away from playing at any of the licensed sites.

If you think you suffer from a gaming addiction (or someone you know suffers from it), we encourage you to seek help. We hope these and other resources will help you get rid of your gambling addiction, if you have one. Please play carefully at both traditional and online casinos.