Gambling is a form of entertainment and should be enjoyed and treated as such. We sincerely encourage all our visitors and users of the website to game and gamble responsibly.
In order to promote safe and responsible gambling, we’ve created this page to educate and help individuals who may be experiencing compulsive gambling to recognize the signs and how to go about seeking professional help.
If you have a gambling problem, don’t worry. You are not alone. We’re here to help, and with the correct professional guidance, you will be able to regain control of your life.
Underage Gambling
You should only engage in any form of gambling or gaming if you are at least 18 years old, or at the minimum legal gambling age of the legal jurisdiction for which you reside in (“Legal Age”).
Please take precautions to ensure that no person who is not of Legal Age has access to any of your gaming accounts.
How to Gamble Responsibly
Follow these guidelines to ensure that you do not let your gambling get out of hands:
• Gambling is a form of entertainment.
• Do not use this as a method to get rich quickly.
• Do not use this as a method to make money to pay off debts.
• Never gamble with more than you can afford to lose.
• Never wager with funds that you need for other expenses – such as food and rent.
• Always be cognizant and in control of your wager budget – Have a separate account for your gambling funds to limit the amount you can use.
• Never chase your losses.
Signs of Compulsive Gambling
Compulsive gambling/problem gambling/pathological gambling/gambling addiction are the most common names to describe over-involvement in gambling. The different names can indicate the different severity of the problem, but no matter what you want to call it, they all generally mean the same thing – A compulsive urge to continue gambling regardless of the negative consequences.
As much as we are committed to helping you gamble safely, we cannot tell you whether or not you have a problem with gambling. Most of the time, even you yourself are unaware when you have developed this disorder. The best way to figure out whether or not you do have this problem is through self-assessment.
Ask yourself the following questions to establish whether you have a gambling problem:
• Have you ever lied about your gambling habits to family or friends?
• Do you feel the need to be secretive about your gambling?
• Do you see gambling as a way out of financial difficulties?
• Do you gamble to escape real life issues?
• Is your mind preoccupied with thoughts about gambling even when you’re not gambling?
• Do you chase your losses?
• Do you gamble outside you means?
• Do you borrow or steal money to gamble?
• Do you lose sleep over gambling?
• When you win, do you cash out or do you continue with bigger wager with hopes to win even more?
• Do you have family or friends who are worried about you as a result of your gambling?
Answering “Yes” to any of these questions could mean you are showing signs of gambling problem, and should consider seeking professional help.
How to Overcome Gambling Addiction by Yourself
Even if you’ve answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a serious case of gambling addiction. In fact, you’ve already taken the biggest step towards overcoming a gambling addiction since you were willing to go through the self-assessment in the first place. This is a good indicator that you have yet to completely lose control.
Try the following things to regain control of your gambling:
- 1. Talk to family and friends about the problem and ask for their support – Sometimes, simply sharing a problem with someone close is a big stress relief and will help you on your way to recovery. They’ll often provide you with encouragement and support you in any way possible. They might have even gone through the problem themselves and can give you advice on how they overcame it.
- 2. Keep track of your gambling funds – Keeping a mental note of how much you’ve gambled with is usually enough for people who are not experiencing problem gambling. However, for individuals displaying symptoms of gambling problem, having a written record of their gambling funds can better serve to make you realize how much you have actually lost.
- 3. Make notes of other gambling factors, such as when you gamble, where you gamble, who you gamble with – You may not have realized before, but by writing it down, it might help you to realize maybe certain individuals are encouraging you to gamble more, or a certain place might trigger you to gamble more etc. if any of these are true, you’ll have to make effort to avoid or reduce contact with this people or places.
- 4. Limit your gambling funds – depending on how you were currently managing your funds, you need to take it to the next level to restrict it even more. Create a separate gambling account with limited funds or get a family member or friend to keep your credit cards/banking account access safe, so you can only access more funds through them.
- 5. Find new hobbies – One of the best ways to stop yourself from doing one thing is to do another thing. Exercise, go to the gym, play sports, or just spend time with family and friends. Ask family and friends to help keep you busy.
Resources
United States:
NCPG Nevada Council on Problem Gambling Gamblers Anonymous