Online Gambling is a leisure pursuit to be enjoyed. The thrill of a winning bet can be exciting and financially rewarding, but it should not be forgotten that gambling can also be highly addictive.
The gambling industry is regulated by the US Gambling Commission who issue licenses to online casino operators like the ones listed on our site page. Under the terms of these licenses gambling businesses are required to promote responsible gambling and to offer their products in a socially responsible way.
This page aims to provide slots and casino players with the information they need to understand how to manage gambling as a leisure activity and what someone should do if they feel that they are spending too much.
Other Ways To Keep Track of Your Gambling
Your Gambling History
Checking your gambling history is a great way to maintain awareness of the time and money you spend on gambling sites. Log onto your account and view your playing history by transaction, and even download the information to a spreadsheet. This is a great tool to help you to gamble responsibly
Budgeting and Keeping a Diary
A great way to monitor your spend and the time you spend online is to keep a budget sheet and a diary. Your budget sheet can be used to set how much you wish to spend each month and to calculate how much you spent in the previous month. A diary is another useful way of keeping track of how much time you have spent online and planning for the weeks ahead.
Using eWallets and Cash Vouchers
When you deposit directly from your bank account or debit card into your gambling account it is easy to lose track of how much you are spending. Transactions can get lost amid all the other things you spend your money on daily.
Some gamblers like to set up an eWallet account exclusively for gambling. The most common are Paypal, Neteller and Skrill. You can transfer your weekly or monthly budget into your eWallet account and then monitor your deposits from there. If you withdraw your winnings directly into this account as well it is a great way to see overall whether you are up or down for the month.
An alternative method to manage your money is using a cash voucher system like Paysafecard. You can load your card with funds using cash and only spend what you can afford.
Internet Filters
You can choose to filter or block gambling sites from your computer or handheld device by using one of the internet filter services that are available.
Gamblock – This software download will block gambling sites on your desktop, tablet or mobile. A warning will be flashed up before the browser window shuts down.
Bet Filter – This is another software install that will block gambling sites on your computer.
Protecting Children From Gambling
It is a criminal offence for anyone under the age of 18 to gamble, or for an operator to take a bet from anyone under the age of 18. The following softwares can help parents to control which sites their children are using, including gambling sites.
CYBERsitter – Parental control install software that allows parents to block access to unsuitable and inappropriate content.
Tools To Help You To Manage Your Gambling
The Gambling Commission sets out to empower customers with the knowledge and tools they need to manage their own gambling.
Online gambling websites must provide tools to empower their customers to manage how much time and money they spend gambling. If you cannot find these tools, or don’t know how to use them, then you should contact the customer services team where you play to find out more.
Time Outs
This facility allows you to block yourself from a website for a specific amount of time. Online gambling sites must offer time outs as follows:
- 24 hours
- One week
- One month
- Any period that a customer might reasonably request up to a total of six weeks
Spend Limits
You should be able to set limits on your spend by deposits, wagering and losses in your online gambling accounts. Losses are defined as your wagers minus your wins.
Usually you will be able to set your limits by day, week or month. Should you reach your limits during this time you will not be able to deposit or bet again until the new period starts.
As a tool to manage your gambling, setting spend limits requires strong will power if you wish to take a break completely from gambling because you can always be tempted to play at another site.
Self-Exclusion
If you decide that you want to stop yourself from gambling for longer than the Time Outs and Spend Limits allow, then you can choose to Self-Exclude.
The minimum period for self-exclusion is six months, and during that time you will not be able to log on to the site from which you excluded yourself. The gambling operator must remove you from any marketing communications and return any money in your account to you.
Additionally, the operator is required to take ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure that you do not bet with them by registering an account under a different identity. This is one of the reasons that ID checks are carried out by online gambling sites when you sign up.
Self-exclusion can be from six months up to five years, or permanent.
Gambling Addictions and Treatment
Here we outline how to identify a gambling problem, what steps you can take to manage your gambling spend, and what to do if you feel you need to seek help with a gambling addiction.
Self-Assessment – Do You Have a Gambling Problem?
Being aware of a gambling problem is the first step towards dealing with it. It can be hard to acknowledge your own addiction. The following signs are typical indicators that you have a gambling issue:
- You are spending more money on gambling than you can afford
- You find it difficult to stop gambling, or manage the time you spend gambling
- You are pre-occupied with gambling – you think and talk about it a lot
- You lie about your gambling and try to hide it from others
- You argue with friends and family about money and gambling
- You lose interest in other hobbies and activities
- You gamble all your money until you have none left
- You sell your possessions, borrow or steal to gamble more
- You neglect other important aspects of your life like family, friends, work and household responsibilities
- When you lose you gamble more – ‘chase your losses’ – to resolve financial problems
- You increase your bets, gambling with more money to try to get the back
- You regularly feel irritable, depressed, anxious and guilty