Responsible Gambling: Tips for Safe Gaming

While the expansion of the online gambling industry in the USA brings plenty of potential for excitement, it also brings more temptation for potentially harmful behaviors. For this reason, it has never been more important to take responsible gambling seriously. Left unchecked, problem gambling can have devastating impacts on your finances, relationships, and health.

In this guide, we’ve outlined a number of tried and tested tips for safe gambling practices. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of them. Fortunately, they are all simple to understand and can be adopted at any time of your gambling journey. We’ve also outlined some helpful resources to help you get control of any addictive patterns.

Our Tips

Whether you’re prone to addiction or not, it’s always wise to remember that the allure of impulsive gambling can impact anyone. The following responsible gambling tips can be followed by anyone to ensure smarter and safer betting. For more information, check out the website of the Responsible Gambling Council.

Always Set a Playing Budget

The first thing you should do before any online gambling session or a visit to a land-based casino is to set a playing budget. Be realistic about what you can afford to lose, as there is a chance that you won’t win anything. Once you’ve committed to this amount, stick to it.

If you’re visiting a land-based casino, it can be useful to bring out your budget for the evening, including food, beverages, and entertainment, in cash and leave your cards at home. That way, you’ll never be able to exceed this. If gambling at an online casino, you can utilize deposit limits.

Don’t Wager on Games You Don’t Understand

A common error made by gambling rookies is wagering on games that you don’t understand. Whether it’s blackjack, poker, slots, or sports betting, always familiarize yourself with the rules before you play and don’t be ashamed of easing in with more beginner-friendly casino games. Not only is this good etiquette for other players, but it will prevent you from making illogical bets against seasoned pros or the house.

There are plenty of online resources that can explain the rules, and whether online casinos are legal or not in your state, you should be able to play non-gambling social games to learn. If you’re making a sports bet, understand what each market is and compare the odds with other sites.

Never Chase Losses

Chasing losses in gambling refers to when players continue to gamble in order to win back funds lost in an earlier session. To do this, you’ll likely exceed your budget and become solely focused on winning despite the signs that it’s not your luck. This could result in your increasing bet sizes or playing more often.

Remember that in most cases, the outcome of a gambling activity is determined solely by luck. You are never owed a win, and continuing to play won’t influence this. If you’ve lost your budget, walk away and come back another time when you can afford to try again.

Never Borrow Money to Fund Gambling

There are plenty of reasons to never borrow money to fund gambling. Whether you look to a friend, family member, financial institution, or elsewhere for financial aid, there’s a possibility that you will lose this money and have difficulty paying it back. The repercussions of this can be devastating.

You may lose relationships or ruin your credit rating, which will further isolate you and impact your living standards in the future. If you look outside legitimate financial enterprises too, you could even put your well-being at risk. Instead, gamble your own money and if this runs out, take a break.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs

One of the cornerstones of smart and healthy gambling is to avoid intoxication by drugs or alcohol while you’re gambling. These substances are known to decrease your inhibitions, making it more likely for you to bet more than you can afford. You may also make unwise strategic decisions while playing games such as poker or blackjack.

Of course, many like to enjoy a casino visit and unwind with a drink, and it’s not entirely necessary to completely avoid alcohol. The important thing is to avoid being too inebriated so that you cannot think clearly. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re too inebriated to drive, you’re too inebriated to gamble.

Use Deposit Limits and Playing Timers

If you sign up for an online casino or online sportsbook, you’ll have access to several tools to help keep your activities under control. In your account settings, you’ll be able to set a deposit limit. This can be a daily, weekly, or monthly amount that you’re restricted to. Altering this limit is a timely process that limits impulse changes.

Additionally, you’ll be able to set session timers. As the name suggests, your sessions will be limited to this set time, whether it be for an hour a day or a few hours a week. Once you’ve reached this limit, your gambling will be restricted. These are great tools to use for all players looking to gamble responsibly.

Only Gamble With Licensed Gambling Sites

This is one of the most important safe gambling tips on this list for many reasons. Not only is it illegal to gamble with unlicensed gambling operators, but it also can be very dangerous. If a site hasn’t been authorized, it may not pay your winnings, offer rigged games, or adopt unethical practices to encourage irresponsible gambling.

Licensed operators will work to combat problem gambling and offer useful management tools. You can check a gambling site’s license at the bottom of its homepage. Please note that online sports betting and online casinos are not legal in all states, so these activities may not be available to you.

Check-In With Yourself

With gambling being an especially thrilling activity, it’s easy to get lost in your emotions and lose track of time playing. This is why it’s helpful to occasionally pause and take a moment to check in with yourself. Take particular notice of how you feel, whether it’s frustrated, angry, sad, or excited.

If you recognize difficult emotions, it’s probably time to stop and walk away. Gambling should be fun, and while some stress will occur in competitive games, it shouldn’t be enough to make you worried about your finances. You may want to set hourly timers to remind yourself to check in or do this briefly after playing each round.

Take Breaks

When it comes to responsible betting, it is helpful to understand the benefits of taking breaks from gambling. If you’re recognizing that you’re spending more time and money on the activity, make a deal with yourself to leave it for a week, a month, or even a year. If you are struggling to do this, then this is a strong indication that an unhealthy relationship with gambling is developing and you’ll want to take steps to address this. If you find that a break is easy or has been beneficial to your finances and relationships, you’ll want to consider these factors when moving forward.

Keep Your Interests Diverse

Whatever your hobbies are, it’s always good to have some diversity to give yourself a chance to take breaks, develop new relationships, and explore other sides of yourself. This is especially true for gambling. While even the best legal gambling sites can be isolating, land-based gambling can often be very social and physically draining in its own right.

Identify other unrelated interests of yours, whether it’s sports, arts, or gardening, and spend some time developing habits around these. That way, if you need to take a break from gambling, you won’t be bored and constantly reminded that you’re missing out on a hobby. This is one of the most important safe gambling tips.

Be Open and Seek Help

No matter who you are, we all need a support network around us to help us through trying times. To encourage an atmosphere of openness that responsible gaming benefits from, be honest about your spending and time spent gambling with your loved ones and friends. If you’re gambling responsibly, you’ll likely not feel a sense of shame.

If these things are difficult to talk about and you find yourself hiding the truth, you may be feeling worrying feelings of shame or isolation. These are two signs that you could need support to address the issue. Recognizing this is the first step toward recovery, and the next is to find support.

Resources for Problem Gambling Support

If you are struggling with problem gambling behaviors, there are many services and tools that you can use to take control of the situation. While it could seem like an impossible task, we assure you that there are experts trained to help with this in a caring and non-judgmental manner. We’ve outlined some of these tools and programs below.

Self-Exclusion and Cool-Down Periods

As long as you’re gambling with a licensed operator, you’ll be able to take advantage of self-exclusion and cool-down programs. If you sign up with a self-exclusion registry, you’ll be placed on a state database that restricts your access from all licensed operators in the state. This includes sportsbooks and online casinos.

You can set periods of self-exclusion, whether it be for several months, a year, or permanently. This will also prevent you from receiving any marketing materials about gambling. A cool-down period is similar in that it will restrict your access for a set period of time between each playing session.

Gamblers Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous was established in 1957 by a group of compulsive gamblers. The program adopts a similar 12-step program to Alcoholics Anonymous and provides a space for people to discuss their experiences in a judgment-free space. Individuals can also support each other on their road to recovery.

There are Gamblers Anonymous programs in all major cities and most US states. Many people have found solace in attending sessions as they provide some accountability as well as support to those as they progress. It is free to attend the meetings and you can attend as often as you would like.

Contact a Mental Health Professional

In addition to Gamblers Anonymous, people may want to find support through medical experts. There are plenty of resources listed on the National Council of Problem Gambling’s website. Often, addiction is tied to other psychological issues, and addressing it with therapy or even medications can help to prevent or limit relapses.

While there can be some costs involved with seeking therapy, there are a number of telephone or chat services that provide free counseling. These are anonymous and can provide a range of tools and a friendly ear in times of trouble or even progress. You’ll be able to find details for these services by using the NCPG website.

Conclusion

With these many safe gambling tips, all players will be able to benefit from healthier, conscious gaming. Whether or not you are noticing compulsive habits, by following each tip, you’ll guarantee prolonged enjoyment, better relationships, and stable finances. And remember, if you are wanting to cut back or quit, you will always be able to find support. To summarize, the tips include:

• Always set a playing budget
• Don’t wager on games you don’t understand
• Never chase losses
• Never borrow money to fund your gambling
• Avoid alcohol and drugs
• Use deposit limits and playing timers
• Only gamble with licensed operators
• Check-in with yourself
• Take breaks
• Keep your interests diverse
• Be open and seek help

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you looking for fast answers to your questions about responsible gambling tips? Below, we have addressed some common queries about this important topic so you don’t have to read the whole guide.