For the majority of casino players, real money games are a fun way to entertain themselves on a
Friday night. However, there are players who can’t control themselves when gambling for
real money, and gambling becomes a problem.
Most of our users will play at online casinos for fun, which is why they will never experience
gambling addiction. But players who are prone to gambling problems can easily lose control of
time and money. In this case, players need to play responsibly.
Thankfully, there are many independent organizations that help problem gamblers overcome their
addiction and return balance and harmony to their lives.
We at Bestocasino.com are committed to helping our users keep gambling fun by promoting casino
operators that support safe and responsible gaming. So our visitors can always count on help
and support from gambling operators they have signed up with.
Responsible gaming tools at online casinos
All online casinos we share links to are ready to help players stay controlled while gambling.
Players are offered to enable different tools that will help make their gambling experience
fun and not discouraging. These tools include:
- Deposit limits. Players can set up limits on deposits they can make per day, week, or month.
- Loss limits. By setting up loss limits, players will be offered to stop playing when they
reach their loss limit.
- Time limits. If players lose track of time at online casinos, they can set up time limits
that will alarm them when the time to leave comes.
- Cooling-off periods. If a player needs time to cool off and get back to real life, he can
establish a cooling-off period. It’s up to you how many days or weeks you need to take
a break from online games.
- Self-exclusion. This tool comes to play when nothing helps. A player can exclude himself from
a casino and the entire group of sister casinos for at least 6 months.
Gambling operators can offer additional tools such as reality checks, history of gambling
activities, and so on.
What are the signs of problem gambling behavior?
If you think you have a gambling addiction or you are close to getting it, you can ask yourself
a few questions to tell if you have a gambling problem for sure. These questions are:
- Do you gamble alone for a long time? Do you ignore work and other activities just to gamble for a bit longer?
- Do you get the excitement from placing stakes of the same size, or do you feel the urge to increase your bet every time?
- Do you experience mood swings from irritation to agitation when gambling?
- Do you play for real money to escape from problems in your real life?
- Do you hide your gambling hobby and losses from other people?
- Have you ever tried to reduce the time or money you spend gambling?
- Have you ever thought of stealing money or getting it in some criminal way and using it for gambling purposes? Did you do so?
- Have you ever tried to win back your losses?
- Do your family and friends know you gamble? If not, you don’t tell them because you feel shame?
- Have you borrowed money or taken a loan for gambling and never paid it back?
- Do you find yourself choosing games over family traditions and gatherings?
If you answer positively to all these questions, you probably have a severe gambling problem. If
only a part of your answers is positive, then you are prone to gambling addiction. And
there’s a chance you become addicted at the nearest time.
What can you do?
If you find yourself suffering from gambling addiction, there are many things you can do to improve
it! But keep in mind that it takes time to overcome the addiction. And probably, it will be very
hard in the beginning.
Mind all the responsible gaming tools that your online casino offers. Set all the possible limits
and take cooling-off periods every once in a while. These should help very well.
The first thing you need to do is take control of yourself, your budget, and your daily routine.
Write down on paper what you do during the day — if gambling takes much of your time, then
reduce it. Add other activities to your life such as sports, classes of something you’ve
always wanted to learn, walks, dates, and so on. This step alone when you shift your focus on
other things rather than gambling already makes a big change.
In addition to this, you can ask your friends or family members to help you. If they don’t
know you’re gambling, it’s high time to confess. The good news is that your family and
friends will not turn back on you. They will be happy to help you. But don’t get mad at them
if they act very harshly (in your opinion) because it’s your urge to gamble that’s
making you mad.
If nothing helps, use the help of independent organizations that offer professional help to problem
gamblers. These organizations exist in every country. Find professional help in your country or
city and try to follow their recommendations. Some players may even visit retreat centers for
the addicted.
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