Online gambling should be considered as a hobby, not a way to make money. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who think differently. They are ready to pour money uncontrollably into their online casino gaming activities in pursuit of big winnings. Brands who legally work in India observe and promote the principles of Responsible gambling. They help clients to fight the development of gambling addiction by informing and providing useful tools to limit account management. Also, support agents of such casinos can, upon your request, provide addresses and contacts of organizations engaged in professional assistance to problem players.
On this page we will tell you in detail about Responsible Gambling and the risks associated with uncontrolled spending at Internet casinos.
What is Responsible Gambling?
If you were interested in online gambling, you might have heard about Responsible Gambling. This is a set of special rules that are observed by online casinos that care about their reputation. On their websites, you can see a special page that provides detailed information about the risks associated with playing for real money. There you can also find a list of tools that allow gamers to stop the development of gambling addiction, as well as contacts of organizations that provide professional assistance to problem punters.
One of the goals of Responsible gaming practices is to protect minors from the temptations associated with Internet casinos. For this reason, gambling operators carry out an identity verification procedure, which allows them to identify such people and block their member areas. According to international studies, minors are more susceptible to gambling addiction than adults with a formed character. For this reason, parents should monitor their children’s activities, and check whether they utilize gadgets to play at online casinos, and whether they steal money from the family budget for these purposes.
Read about Payment Methods for Indian Online Casinos.
Risks of Addiction
Gambling addiction is the main problem of punters who want to win big in an online casino. It develops gradually due to certain factors. Reputable international scientists have found that gambling addiction can be partially comparable to the effect of taking alcohol or drugs in terms of the impact it has on a person. If you have a strong character, then you will be able to cope with the temptations to play longer and spend more. But, there are a lot of people with a weak character, and for them playing for real money can become a very dangerous pastime.
How to Know About Addiction?
Numerous Indian gambling platforms that have a Responsible Gaming page provide a list of signs that allow punters to figure out whether they are developing a gambling addiction. These are the signs:
- Your relations with relatives and friends have deteriorated because of gambling;
- You spend money on the slots or other amusements that you need for other purposes;
- You immediately come into conflict with people who are trying to prove that you are developing an addiction;
- If you don’t play at an online casino, life doesn’t bring you pleasure;
- Gambling takes up all your thoughts, nothing else interests you;
- You are becoming more and more depressed and have thoughts of suicide;
- Because of playing in an online casino, you have problems in your family, at work or at school;
- You regularly lie to your family about your casino addictions;
- You have problems with payments on bills or loans;
- You take out loans, borrow money, or even steal to finance your game;
- You do not control the time you spend in an online casino;
- You continue the game until you lose all the money;
- After each loss, you raise the stakes in order to recoup as soon as possible.
If you have recognized yourself in several situations described above, then you urgently need help before it gets worse!
Tools for Avoiding Addiction
On the websites of operators who are interested in developing business in India, there is a selection of various tools to fight the development of gambling addiction. Their assortment may vary in a particular casino. Here are the tools you can use:
- Setting limits. Limit the size of the deposit for a certain period, the size of the bet, the amount of spending, as well as the time spent on the site;
- Reality check. If you spend a lot of time on the gambling platform, you will receive a notification about it, and you will be able to finish the game;
- Blocking access. Set yourself a ban on visiting certain sections of the site;
- Account blocking. You can request the support agents of the online casino to block your member area for a certain period of time;
- Prohibition of promotional mailings. If you receive promo offers from the casino by email or SMS, you can unsubscribe from this mailing list or ask the site staff not to send you such messages;
- Blocking deposits. Set the block to top up your balance;
- Deleting an account. This is a radical measure that should be taken in the most serious cases.
Remember that if you play responsibly, real money amusements will not harm your personal life.
How to Get Help?
Unfortunately, there are often situations when no responsible gaming tool can help a player anymore if his or her addiction has reached a critical level. In this case, the punter needs professional help. Legal operators support the principles of Responsible gambling. They can give their Indian clients contacts of organizations that provide professional assistance to punters who no longer enjoy playing in an online casino, but they continue to play. There are many such organizations, here are some examples:
- Gamblers Anonymous (http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/);
- GamCare (http://www.gamcare.org.uk/);
- Gambling Therapy (www.gamblingtherapy.org).
You will also need the help of your family. Relatives should understand and accept your addiction and provide you with support. Together with the approved request to ban the use of a private cabinet in an online casino, this will provide you with a good basis for starting the road to recovery.