For most people, gambling is a relaxing leisure activity, but there are gamblers who view gambling as a source of income.
Excessive gambling consumption can lead to far-reaching consequences such as psychological dependence and disintegration of social relations. To keep control over gambling, it is important to prevent the dependency problems through preventive measures.
The first rule of gambling online is: have fun! To put it in a nutshell, but without sounding dramatic, online gambling is nothing more than purchased entertainment. If you can understand and comprehend this, you are on the right path to healthy gambling behavior.
If you arrange to meet friends for a movie night and each pays their entrance to see the movie, this is also bought entertainment. The same applies to signing up for streaming services like Netflix or music streaming services like Spotify – all purchased entertainment.
The example above makes it clear that if a movie wasn’t that exciting or thrilling, most people only take note of this briefly and watch another movie that hopefully meets the viewer’s expectations.
No one here would think of asking for their money back or trying to make up for what they consider lost time or reclaim it from the service provider. This is exactly how the attitude must be with purchased entertainment in the online casino.
If the game is not exciting and only a few winnings have been made, one must accept this as it is and not get any wrong ideas, such as “winning back the money wagered”. Playing means having fun with entertainment in the form of games or tournaments, enjoying the thrill and watching enjoyable betting events.
Gambling does not mean making a huge fortune overnight to retire afterwards. Far from it! We recommend every player to think about their gambling habits before registering at the online casino. Ask yourself these questions before signing up and you will know why you want to sign up (and whether you might be taking a wrong turn):
These are general questions that we on onlinecasinoprofy.com advise every player to answer before entering their name into the registration form.
If you encounter any conflicts or discrepancies between the question and your answer, we recommend that you reconsider registering at the casino and possibly do so later – namely, when any concerns or conflicts have been resolved beyond any doubt.
Pathological gambling, also known as gambling addiction, is a recognized medical condition. Like most types of addiction, it usually begins and progresses insidiously – i.e., without the person affected or their environment noticing anything.
Affected persons usually start with small stakes on slot machines or in online casinos. Once winnings have been achieved, increasingly higher amounts are gradually wagered.
The losses are often so annoying for those affected that they try to make up the difference between the stake and the winnings by continuing to gamble. This is often associated with fear of failure or other psychological disorders. This creates a so-called “downward spiral”: higher losses are attempted to be made up for with ever higher stakes.
In the loss phase described by medical experts, neglect of family, friends and work usually also begins – and the actual addiction is starting to take shape. Financial and social problems ensue. The ultimate loss of control, however, begins in the subsequent addiction stage: the desperation phase.
Thus, gambling becomes the focus of life and daily routine – all other areas are severely or completely neglected. Lying, guilt, and withdrawal symptoms follow, similar to an addiction to intoxicants. It is never “too early” for help or prevention – nevertheless, at the latest here professional and adequate help and counseling should be sought.
Affected gamblers gradually lose their assets, often neglect their families for an extended period of time and think about gambling all the time. Problems arise not only in the family, but also at work. Further indications of problematic or pathological gambling are the following ones:
Gambling is a popular pastime and a form of entertainment, but since it has a high-risk potential, you should recognize the dangers early on. To avoid getting caught in the vicious circle of gambling addiction, it is of utmost importance to choose an online casino that promotes responsible gambling. Reputable online casinos work against gambling addiction with preventive measures. You’ll get a better idea of that here:
A self-test can bring clarity as to which path a player is on in the casino – or in other words, whether the gambling behavior is actually responsible or there is already a façade between reality and gambling. It is therefore advisable to ask oneself these questions or reality check and see how many of the following behaviors apply to oneself:
Long story short, it is very fun to gamble – yet gambling with your own health is no longer fun. If most of the questions above apply, please contact a friend, your casino, or an official help organization like the ones below.
There are different organizations that deal with prevention and treatment of gambling problems. All reputable online casinos cooperate with such organizations, and you can see their logos on the casino pages. Here we briefly introduce you to the most famous organizations in the industry:
GamCare is perhaps the biggest and one of the most recognizable help organizations in the online gambling field. It provides support, information, advice and free counseling for prevention and treatment of gambling problems. It has helped numerous gamblers get over their addiction and improve their lives. More information about it can be found on the official GamCare website.
This organization promotes responsibility in gambling. It offers counseling, information, help and support to the gambling addicts. To make a contact, you can either call or open a live chat window on the website. The counseling is free of charge and 100% anonymous. Moreover, the counseling is available in more than 200 languages.
This is a community for people who suffer from gambling addiction. Sufferers help each other with information, experience, and compassion. This organization operates in the UK and on the official site you can find more information about the meetings. Furthermore, the site offers literature, forum, and chat room. If you are looking for meetings, you can visit the Gamblers Anonymous website.
This online platform offers free help and support in several languages. The organization has also developed the product GamBlock, which is a software program for gambling addicts. Last but not least, Gambling Therapy still deals with support groups and has trained numerous trainers. You can find out about all the services on the official website.
Regardless of whether you are affected by gambling addiction, belong to a risk group, or have not identified with the problem at all so far, the most important thing is to deal with the issue openly.
If you regularly gamble in a casino, amusement arcade or online casino, you should always observe and question yourself. As soon as you develop negative feelings while gambling, it is time to put on the brakes to stop the problem before it reaches its full potential.
Fortunately, there are several major organizations today that specialize in the issue of gambling addiction and its treatment. The organizations welcome anyone, even if you have only minor doubts about your gambling behavior and would not yet classify yourself as an “addict.”
Minors are generally prohibited from participating in any form of gambling. While it is not possible to enter the premises or even gamble as a minor in land-based casinos thanks to direct age control, there is plenty of room for cheating online.
Reputable online casinos always allow the registration and deposit of funds only from the age of majority. To confirm this, appropriate identification documents such as an ID card or passport must be presented.
However, it has happened time and again in the past that minors have registered with the data and documents of their legal guardians and thus illegally participated in gambling.
As a parent, you should therefore keep a very close eye on your children’s Internet activities. Here are some helpful tips on how to keep your offspring away from gambling and its potential risks, and what to do if your child has already been gambling.
To stay in control of your gambling and avoid problems with gambling, it is advisable to heed the following rules:
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Receive latest offers, bonuses & much more in your inbox.
Casiplay Casino
UP TO £200 + 100 extra spins on Starburst!
18+, Min. deposit: £10. Max. bonus: £200. Offer valid on first deposit. Offer only applies to new players. Max bet limitations per spin apply. 35x wagering requirements apply (i.e the bonus x35). Higher wagering requirements may be applied depending on the games played. T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org
Zodiac Casino
80 chances to win the Jackpot + up to $480 in bonuses!
Welcome Offer is for New Customers Only. The 80 chances are credited as £20 welcome bonus and players can spin 80 times at £0.25 on the Mega Moolah progressive slot game. The minimum first deposit required is £1, for all subsequent deposits the minimum deposit is £10. A two hundred times wagering requirement applies on all bonuses and certain games contribute a different percentage to the wagering requirement. See full terms and conditions.
begambleaware.org
Lucky Vegas Casino
🔥 EXCLUSIVE BONUS 🔥
100% up to 75GBP + 75 FS on Book of dead
Automatically credited upon deposit. Cancellation can be requested. First Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10, max. Bonus £75. Game: Book of Dead, Spin Value: £0.1. WR of 30x Deposit + Bonus amount and 60x Free Spin winnings amount (only Slots count) within 30 days. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the free spin winnings and bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies). Spins must be used and/or Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. Bonuses do not prevent withdrawing deposit balance. First Deposit/Welcome Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos.
18+ Please play responsibly | begambleaware.org | Full Terms Apply
Casumo
Casino
100% bonus up to £25 and 20 Bonus Spins
18+. New UK customers only. Opt-in required. 20 Bonus Spins on “Book of Dead” and 100% Deposit Bonus up to £25 on first deposit. Min deposit £10. 30x wagering requirement for Bonus Spins and 30x wagering requirement for Deposit Bonus (game weighting applies). Max £5/spin or £0.50/line or £10/round (live casino). 30 days expiry. T&C’s Apply. Please gamble responsibly • begambleaware.org •
Casino Planet
Get bonusMr Play Casino
100 FS + 100% Up To £200
18+ New Players only! Receive a 200% match up bonus up to £500 on first deposit. This bonus only applies for deposits of £10 or higher!
All you need to do is just deposit the money in your Mr play.com account and you will receive this bonus instantly! begambleaware.org