Everything About Responsible Gambling: The Complete Guide On Safer Play

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Last updated on July 14th, 2024

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The Complete Responsible Gambling Guide

Gambling is usually associated with fun, excitement, and big winnings. While this is true up to a certain degree, it is not the full picture. We can go as far as to say that gambling is a two-faced activity, just like most things in life. If not approached with utmost caution, respect, and the proper strategy, gambling can be highly detrimental to both your finances and your personal life. This is where the idea of creating the ultimate responsible gambling guide comes into play.

The single most important aspect of gambling is undoubtedly responsible gambling, aka safer play. It is the first and foremost thing you should learn way before your first gambling session. This is because gambling responsibly and following safer play practices can not only improve the overall success of each session but can literally save you from developing a gambling addiction.

It goes without saying that anything that is approached without caution and the right knowledge can be harmful. This is amplified even further when it comes to a volatile activity such as gambling. Thankfully, today, we have an excellent insight into problem gambling, and as a result, there are a plethora of tips, tools, and responsible gambling organizations dedicated to assisting players with gambling addiction.

In this guide, we have gathered all of the information regarding responsible gambling. Our team of experts compiled a detailed article containing everything that you should know about gambling responsibly. From life-saving tips on safer play to responsible gambling tools and the most prominent advocates for responsible gambling, there are a plethora of preventive measures to ensure that you always remain safe when gambling.

The difference between Responsible Gambling and Problem Gambling

Before we delve into the mechanics of responsible gambling, we first need to distinguish the terms responsible gambling and problem gambling.

Responsible gambling is when you use gambling for fun and entertainment purposes. More specifically, responsible gambling and all of the tools and programs that are a byproduct of this activity are all about prevention. In other words, the ultimate goal of responsible gambling is stopping the problem before it develops in the first place. This means that responsible gambling is the opposite of problem gambling.

Problem gambling, on the other hand, is when players use gambling as a way to make money or they gamble with more money than they earn. Needless to say, it is easy to see how these two can lead to gambling addiction. Problem gambling is not something that is developed overnight, but rather a process that takes time to develop. Responsible gambling if done correctly, can be used to prevent problem gambling from developing even if the player shows early signs of gambling addiction.

Tips for Safer Gambling

Being responsible when gambling is fairly easy if you have the right guide. By following these life-saving tips and unwritten rules and guidelines for safer play, not only do you ensure the safety of your finances and well-being, but you can also maximize the efficiency of your gaming sessions.

View gambling as a hobby

While you may feel enticed to consider making money out of gambling, the truth is that the number of players who actually earn from gambling is ridiculously small. In fact, the only people who make money out of gambling are professional gamblers who dedicate their lives to gambling. Gambling should be used strictly for entertainment purposes and viewed as a hobby.

Time your gaming sessions

Tracking how much time you spend gambling is beneficial for several reasons. By timing your sessions you prevent both mental and physical health issues, but also financial. Spending too much time gambling can lead to a disrupted sleep cycle, back pain, loss of sight, impaired cognitive functions, and you losing way too much money than you first intended.

Set a budget and learn bankroll management

Professional and expert gamblers always have a separate budget for gambling. Regardless of whether you are a big-dog who likes to play with big money or a more conservative player who plays with a limited budget, having proper bankroll management is one of the most important things you should do. Having a predetermined budget specifically for gambling can save both your finances and peace of mind.

Don’t overstep your budget

This one may seem obvious at first, but you will be surprised how many players tend to gamble with money that they don’t have. Whether this means spending more than you earn, or borrowing money from other people, gambling with money you don’t have can only lead to debt, and even more concerning, bankruptcy. This is why setting a budget and limits to your gambling expenditure is absolutely imperative.

Play with a strategy

Playing with a clear strategy is one of the smartest things you can do before you start gambling. Regardless of which game you are playing, it is always a good idea to have a plan. Whether it is a blackjack strategy or a strategy for playing online slots, the chances of winning are exponentially growing when you know what you are doing. This also means that you should play games that you understand, or/and take time to learn them before your first session.

Don’t chase losses

Online gambling is a game that requires both luck and skill. This means that while some days things may go your way, there will be times when you won’t be so lucky. Chasing your losses is a sure way to jeopardize your finances and end up losing everything that you have. There is no room for pride and ego in gambling, and losing simply means that you should save your strength and money for some other time.

Don’t play under the influence

When mixed, substance abuse and gambling are a detrimental combination. Needless to say, playing under the influence can and will lead to irrational bets and impulsive decisions, something that is the opposite of the sensitive nature of gambling. Make sure that you always gamble with a clear head. Staying cool when things go wrong and not succumbing to substances is the best thing you can do, especially since substances are proven to drastically increase the chances of developing gambling addiction.

Ask for help

Whether it is help from a fellow gambler who is more experienced, or from a responsible gambling organization, there is nothing wrong in asking for help. If you feel that you or a loved one is starting to develop an addiction, don’t be ashamed to ask or offer help. There is an entire community dedicated solely to helping individuals who need assistance in battling gambling addiction, meaning that you are not alone. Don’t isolate yourself, and reach out to one of the responsible gambling organizations that truly care for your well-being.

Reputable responsible gambling organizations

Responsible gambling wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for the long list of responsible gambling organizations. These independent safer play advocates exist to provide help to any individuals who suffer from gambling addiction, regardless of the country. As such, they are free of charge, completely anonymous, offer a plethora of tools and professional advice on how to battle, and most importantly, can cure gambling addiction.

Even most official gambling regulators come with dedicated responsible gambling policies. Take the Safer Gambling policy by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, which is a full-blown paper that contains some truly life-saving advice and tools on how to gamble responsibly. The point that we are trying to make is that there is a long list of entities that make it their priority to assist individuals who need counsel on how to gamble more responsibly.

The list of the most reputable gambling organizations on the internet includes:

Responsible Gambling Apps

Though there are a lot of responsible gambling organizations currently operating on the internet, the sad truth is that the number of players who truly decide to ask for help is ridiculously low. In fact, studies show that the number of players who turn to responsible gambling organizations is just 2% out of the entire gambling industry. This is what led to the creation of the latest trend in the safer play vertical, the responsible gambling apps.

One of the reasons why the popularity of responsible gambling apps skyrocketed in the past couple of years can be traced to the global use of smartphones. Being that people are inseparable from their mobile devices, the need for self-help responsible gambling apps was the perfect solution to reach out to a wider audience of players who do not wish to contact responsible gambling advocates or read a guides such as this one.

They are budget-friendly, convenient, easy-to-use, and give the players the freedom to control their gambling activity from the one device they use the most, the smartphone. Due to the increase in popularity of these apps, today, there are quite a few apps that players can use to stay safe when gambling.

With that being said, let’s have a look at some of the best responsible gambling apps.

BetBlocker – no ads and free of charge, this app was developed by a charitable organization that is funded by donations.

QuitGamble – a fun app with thousands of members, forums, support groups, and video courses, this app uses cognitive behavioural therapy to trace the root of gambling addiction.

GamBan – one of the best safer play apps, GamBan can block everything from gambling websites to crypto and trading platforms for just $2.55 per month.

Gambless – a unique app created by psychologists, Gambless emphasizes psycho-education and comes with several life-saving tools and features.

Bettor Time – free of charge, this app is perfect for setting limits on your gambling activity and even comes with 3 different blocking options.

Gambling Therapy – created by one of the biggest responsible gambling organizations, this app covers everything from psychological support to a ton of safer play tools and features.

Tools For Safer Play

Since we have already touched upon the most reputable responsible gambling organizations and the best tools for safer play, the last thing we need to cover is the tools for responsible gambling. As a fierce advocate for responsible gambling and safer play, Gamblers Connect has introduced the revolutionary Responsible Gambling Index which serves to rate how responsible are the online gambling operators we promote toward their players.

Moreover, we found that there are 12 tools for responsible gambling and safer play that each casino must possess to earn the highest grade in our book of evaluation, i.e. the Exceptional Grade. While the whole point of our Index is to motivate gambling operators to improve their safer play practices and work toward providing the ultimate gambling platform when it comes to responsible gambling, there are several of these tools that players can use as well.

Some online gambling operators may or may not choose to implement the full list of 12 tools to ensure a responsible and conscious gambling environment. This is because not all operators care about your well-being. This is why it is imperative that you take the helm over your gambling habits, and consequently implement the life-saving responsible gambling tools for yourself.

Deposit limits – one of the most effective tools to stay in control over your spending habits, you can set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits on your gambling expenditures.

Wagering limits – perfect for controlling how much you bet in a single session, you can also set daily, weekly, or monthly wagering limits.

Loss limits – similar to the previous two, loss limits are all about quitting when you reach a certain amount of money that you lost.

Session limits – perfect for tracking how much time you spend gambling, you can set daily or weekly session limits to ensure that you never spend too much time gambling.

Time alert – set an alarm and get notifications for changes in your balance, how much you have deposited, and the length of your session.

With that being said, let’s have a look at the 12 tools for responsible gambling that Gamblers Connect considers a must-have for online gambling operators:

Deposit Limits
Wagering Limits
Loss Limits
Session Limits
Self-Exclusion
Self-Assessment
Reality Check
Account History
Ethical and Responsible Marketing
Budget Calculator
Prevention of Underage Gambling

Final Thoughts

We hope that this full-blown guide on everything responsible gambling can help you in becoming the best player you can be. Never underestimate the volatile nature of gambling, and always make sure to play for the right reasons. From here, remember that gambling is a fun past-time activity and not a way to earn money. Always make sure to gamble with a plan and use a gambling strategy. This is the only way to keep your edge over the already-favoured casino houses.

If you feel that you need professional assistance, don’t hesitate to contact one of the responsible gambling organizations, download one of the safer play apps, or use one of the life-saving tools for responsible gambling.

Good luck, and stay safe.