Welcome to Responsible Gaming
Responsible Gaming
Last updated: September 15, 2023
Gambling has become a favourite form of entertainment for millions of people around the world. While most players prefer an amateur approach without getting excited, others go overboard. When do you need to stop? How much to invest in the game? It’s a completely individual matter, but you certainly shouldn't bet your life.
To help to sort out a potential problem, you should take a sensible look at the situation:
weigh the pros and cons.
Among the positive aspects of gambling are:
- You will not be bored
- A significant value of victory
- Easy to start, easy to finish
- There's a whole world inside
Now let's look at the cons:
- Community pressure (your friends may be against)
- Possible loss of funds
- There are times when it is difficult to control yourself
- The risk is high
How dangerous is a gambling addiction?
It should be said that gambling addiction is a problem of human psychological health. For example, you can look at kleptomania, pyromania, or drug use - all this is psychology.
An addicted player does not always understand the seriousness of the problem and cannot reasonably assess the situation. It seems to one that he/she can quit this destructive occupation at any moment. Unfortunately, it does not work this way. Sometimes, people harm not only themselves but also those around them, so it is important to be wary of the possible consequences.
How to identify a gambling addiction?
If you have a friend or family member who is acting extremely strange, exhibiting symptoms of gambling addiction – you can use a list of clear signs that will help you figure it out.
In this small list, there are signs that you may have observed over the past 6-12 months. If the suspect does not have a psychological illness and is not in a depressed state, the chance of correct identification is extremely high. The criterion for the diagnosis was established by the American Psychiatric Association.
The limits are going up. A person feels the need to raise rates in order to obtain the required level of excitement.
- Irritability and anxiety follow in an attempt to reduce his involvement in gambling.
- Attempts to finish the game ended with a quick return.
- Gambling is always in one’s head (a topic of conversation, jokes, and looking for money to play).
- Treating trauma (depression, helplessness, anxiety, or guilt).
- Return to financial losses (a kind of loss chase).
- A constant lie about the lack of gaming experience and financial losses.
- Negative impact on personal life, work, or other aspects of life.
- Searching for money in an attempt to solve personal problems at someone else's expense.
If 4 or more items from the list coincide, there is a possibility that you are dealing with a gambling addiction. To fully assess the situation, you should contact a medical specialist (therapist or psychiatrist) and explain the problem in details. A medical consultation will allow you to get a more accurate diagnosis.
A healthcare professional will help you rule out possible mental disorders, which may be one of the reasons for this strange behavior. As a rule, there are many other psychological complications behind gambling addiction, which lead to instability and anxiety in your consciousness. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse can be among the causes. Only by contacting a specialist you can find the source of your troubles and start working on improving your condition.
A dangerous path to Ludomania
Ludomania (the current medical term) denotes a serious addiction to gambling. Most experts say that this psychological disease is a symptom that is based on other mental illnesses. The root cause can be social, psychological, but also biological factors.
Most experts note the importance of the age of the person suffering from the disease. In addition, they take into account the seriousness of the attitude to the gameplay, victories, and defeats.
It is important to keep the following in mind:
- Set a budget: This will, of course, differ from player to player, but ensure that you never stake more money than you can afford to lose.
- Time: Spending too much time gambling can seriously affect your mood and finances, so take a break every so often. All betting sites that we recommend at EsportsBets are fully licensed and will therefore offer help with this.
- Habits: Keep an eye out for signs that you are struggling and showing addictive behaviour. This can include chasing losses, which you should never do. There are plenty of self-exclusion tools on the market which can help you to stay in control.
Helpful responsible gambling organisations
No matter how much you are struggling when it comes to gambling, there is always help available. There are plenty of organisations available to offer free, non-judgmental guidance on a 24/7 basis and these are some of the most popular.
United Kingdom
- Gamble Aware: begambleaware.org
- Gamblers Anonymous: gamblersanonymous.org.uk
United States
- National Problem Gambling helpline: 1-800-522-4700
Canada
- Responsible Gambling Council: responsiblegambling.org
Europe
- European Casino Association: europeancasinoassociation.org