Steps to Take if You Are Developing a Gambling Problem

Precautions to Take

If you feel that your gambling is spiralling out of control, there are precautions you can take straight away to curb the issue and improve your situation for the better.

Reduce the Amount and Time You Spend Gambling

Make sure you pay all your essential bills like electricity/water, rent/mortgage, and childcare fees as soon as you receive your salary. Set a weekly limit based on how much you can afford to lose when gambling, and stick to it. On gambling websites establish a limit so you don’t overspend.

You can set specific days on which to gamble, for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Do not try to open gambling sites for a quick one-bet. That never works! Set alarms or alerts on your phone or laptop to remind you when it’s time to close the gambling site or app for the day.

Reject the Idea That Gambling is There for You to Make Money

Gambling isn’t a way for you to make money. Stop seeing it as an investment and view it more as a source of entertainment. When you gamble, prepare yourself to lose! Remember that winning is a game of chance and doesn’t occur more frequently than losing.

Never gamble using investment or savings funds. Tell your family and friends not to lend you money if you ask them for it.

Fill Your Time With Other Activities

Try to spend more time with family and friends. Open up and connect! Do not bottle up your feelings and talk about your concerns and worries related to your gambling addiction.

Spend less time with people who gamble or people who you gamble with. Join clubs or social clubs that do not involve gambling. Picking up an old hobby or restarting a new one is a great idea.

The Steps Needed to Get Help With Gambling

If you think you have a gambling problem, there are a few measures you can take to get help.

Here are a few of them:

Limit how much you gamble
Confide in someone about your gambling issues
Seek help if you have accumulated debt
Make sure you are not allowed to gamble after self-excluding
Get support if you are finding things hard

Limit How Much You Gamble

If you really need to limit the amount of money you gamble or want to stop gambling entirely, then ask gambling companies and your bank to help you out.

Gambling operators have implemented a number of measures to help you ease your gambling habits. We have more information on this in the section below.

Banks can also block payments to gambling companies or freeze your card for a period of time to stop you from spending too much.

There is even software available to help you block casino websites. Read our article on how you can gamble safely for more information.

Talk to Someone About Your Gambling Issues

The British Charity website GamCare helps people with gambling problems online. You can also find out if there is a support group near you such as Gamblers Anonymous where you can have meetings.

Seek Help if You Have Accumulated Debt

If you are dealing with debts, get advice and help from a specialist. Prioritise which debts need to be handled first and see if you are entitled to any help for living costs.

Make Sure You Don’t Gamble After Self-Exclusion

If you have been allowed to gamble at a specific casino site after you have self-excluded then you need to file a complaint or report the gambling operator to the regulator operating in that particular jurisdiction.

They are responsible for taking action against a gambling company if it doesn’t follow the responsible gambling rules.

Get Support When Needed

Sometimes the underlying issue of a gambling addiction may be a mental health problem. If you are struggling with your mental health, speak to a therapist or call the nearest free helpline.

Make use of Tools Casinos/Banks Offer

Serious and licensed casinos are pressured by regulated governing bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority to follow rules related to responsible gambling.

These two governing bodies make sure that casinos uphold responsible gambling protocols to the highest standards. Should they fail to do so, they have the right to impose hefty fines or even take away their license.

Here is a list of measures casinos and gambling operators have implemented to limit gamblers from descending into addiction.

Time Limits

Players can choose to limit the time they spend gambling on a particular casino site. A user can opt to set a gambling time limit of say 30 minutes a day. Once the limit for the day is up, users can no longer access that specific casino website.

Loss Limits

Setting a loss limit is one of the trendiest responsible gambling tools. This permits users to restrict themselves from chasing their losses and losing even more. Once the threshold is reached, the casino site prevents them from spending more than their limit- irrelevant of whether it is daily, weekly, or monthly.

People who suffer from a gambling addiction or compulsive gamblers can make use of the tool and avert losing more than they can afford.

Deposit Limits

One of the most significant tool casino sites and gambling operators have implemented is the deposit limit. This may be even more important than the loss and time limit because it directly addresses the funds customers play with.

Deposit limits are deployed to restrict customers from depositing more than the established amount, which can be set daily, weekly, or monthly. Once a player reaches the threshold amount of their deposit limit, the casino site or gambling operators will not allow them to deposit any more funds for the time limit they have set.

Payment Block

This allows customers to block their bank account/ bank card/credit card from being used for gambling transactions. It has to be said that payment blocks do not necessarily rely on casino sites or gambling operators but mostly on the banks in question.

Reality Check

This feature has a pop-up message appear at intervals pushing the gambler in question to either take a break from gambling or stop playing for a specific time frame.

You can read more about such casino-enabled tools and measures in our Responsible Gambling: What Every Casino Should Do article.

Different Types of Self-Exclusion and Time-Outs

Self-inclusion and time-outs are both very popular gambling tools, which are also enabled by casino sites and gambling operators. Why would you as an online player opt to self-exclude?

Here are a few reasons:

You are no longer enjoying gambling.
Gambling is causing you financial, mental health, or relationship problems.
You feel the need to go on a break from gambling.
Gambling is putting you or your loved ones under duress.
Your need to gamble has taken over every facet of your life and it is causing physical, psychological, and emotional damage.
You constantly chase your losses.

Online gamblers can opt to self-exclude, meaning they can choose to restrict their access to a particular online casino site. This may extend itself even to a poker room or sportsbook.

While self-exclusion is usually a voluntary option, at times casino sites or gambling operators may implement it themselves for protection. This is because the individuals in question may be suffering from gambling addiction or have been involved in gambling-related crimes.

Time-Outs

Time-Outs are very popular tools that online players can enable to limit their access to a casino site. The time-out can be established for a predetermined time window such as hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

Certain operators offer players the choice to time out after losing a certain amount of funds or reaching a time limit on the duration of a gambling session.

Gambling Operators and Self-Exclusion

It is in the gambling operators’ interest to offer safe, secure, and reasonable services. They need to be on the lookout for the well-being of their own customers. For this reason, whenever a customer self-excludes, the operator is not allowed to push him to gamble.

Self-excluding gamblers should therefore not receive marketing content like emails, texts, or calls that force them to go back to gambling. There are different rules and regulations for gambling based on the jurisdiction where the gambling operators are offering their services.

If a gambling operator is caught by a governing body promoting gambling to a self-excluding player, the regulator can take action against that operator. Such disciplinary actions can range from imposing a fine to reprimanding the operator in question to revoking their license in the worst of cases.

Different Kinds of Self-Exclusion

The Responsible Gambling Foundation has been set up to protect customers of casinos, gambling salons, and bingo halls licensed with the Malta Gaming Authority. Players can self-exclude and the periods of self-exclusion range from six months to one year to an indefinite time period. Gamblers are asked to provide a medical certificate and a valid ID card if they self-exclude for an indefinite period of time.

The Foundation offers those suffering from a gambling addiction free blocking software called BETBLOCKER which is designed to limit access to gambling sites and other online content related to gambling which can trigger addictive patterns of behaviour.

GAMSTOP is a free self-exclusion service designed to help UK residents. Once gamblers register they will be prevented from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain for a specific time-frame of their choice.

All you have to do as a player is provide them with a few details about yourself and the details you have given a particular casino website or the gambling operators and let them confirm your identity.

GamCare is a charity based in the UK which aims to support anyone affected by problem gambling. They have a self-assessment tool that can help you understand how far gambling has had an impact on your life. GamCare can provide the right tools to help you shift your gambling habits.

Self-Assessment Test

How much has gambling become an issue for you? Perhaps it is time to take an online test to find out.

GamCare’s self-assessment test is made up of a series of statements and you are asked to choose the statement that feels closest to your gambling behavioral pattern on a scale of 1 to 10. This statement would apply to your gambling in the last three months.

You will find a summary of how gambling is affecting your life at the end of the test with customized recommendations for your next steps.

GamCare Self-Assessment Test

“Sometimes I gamble for longer than I intend to”
“Sometimes I lose track of time when I am gambling.”
“ Other people say that I spend too much time gambling.”
“ I devote time to my gambling when I really should doing something else.”
“ Sometimes I gamble more money than I intend to.”
“Sometimes I try to win back money that I have lost gambling.”
“Sometimes I gamble with money that really should have been used for something else.”
“ I sometimes borrow money to enable me to gamble.”
“ I do not want to tell other people about how much time and money I spend on my gambling.”
“ People close to me think that I gamble too much.”
“ Sometimes I feel bad when I think of how much I have lost gambling.”
“ Sometimes my gambling has left me short of money.”
“ I feel restless if I do not have the opportunity to gamble.”
“ Sometimes I feel bad when I think about my gambling.”
“ My gambling sometimes makes me irritated.”
“ Thinking about the last three months, do you consider you have any problems with your gambling?”

Here is GamCare’s fully interactive self-assessment tool.

How to Recover

Prepping ahead and planning is part and parcel of staying away from investing too much time and money on gambling sites. Here are a few steps you can take on the road to recovery from addictive gambling.

Plan Your Day to Avoid Boredom

For a former gambler, who is used to the thrills and the lows of the addiction, it is normal to struggle with everyday bouts of boredom. Plan your day ahead and make sure to fill all the empty spaces of your time with other activities that are as far removed from gambling as much as possible.

Past research has shown that gamblers have a low tolerance for boredom. When having to complete an uninspiring task, they will skirt their way around it or simply not complete it.

Live Your Life One Day at a Time

Focus on your recovery issues. Taking your life by the horns and living one day at a time also means cutting your losses and not worrying about the uncertainty the future might bring. Forget the past! Keep your focus on what you can do today and your present recovery.

Pick Up an Old Hobby

When a gambler becomes further entrenched in his gambling addiction, he loses interest in any previous hobbies. If you have stopped gambling, it is important to rekindle old hobbies. Not only will it improve your self-esteem, but it can be a frequent reminder of your new way of life.

Find a healthy activity to replace the negativity of addiction. It will help you focus on the added value and add benefits of your new way of life rather than what you are missing out on.

Be Wary of Upcoming Special Events

Compulsive gamblers tend to struggle with impulse control and delayed gratification. Acknowledge the necessity to focus and concentrate on your new purpose when a special event is drawing near.

For a former sports gambler, an upcoming event like the World Cup, the European Championship, or the Wimbledon tennis tournament can be incredibly difficult. It would be best to avoid the hype surrounding such events and avoid anything related to bookies and special marketing offers.

Identify Your Self-Sabotage Mechanisms

Find out what triggers you or any upcoming events that might send you back to hitting your old gambling habits. Make sure you prepare before any situation that might cause the need for any old habits to resurface, perhaps even on special occasions.

Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal

Keeping a journal helps you look at your life in a more holistic way and helps you keep track as a form of a relapse prevention strategy. When we have a grateful attitude, we don’t search for excitement as much as before.

Addictions can symbolize our failure to bond. A player with a gambling addiction bonds with the activity of gambling because they cannot connect with anything else. The opposite of addiction is not the state of being clean but human connection. That is why 12-step meetings like Gamblers Anonymous can help with the long phase of recovery.

Top Tip

Who to Contact When Support is Needed

Hey there! If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, reach out for help. Contact organisations such as Gamblers Anonymous, the Responsible Gambling Foundation, and GamCare, or seek professional assistance. Support is available to help you on the road to recovery.

Key Takeaways

Limit the amount of time and money you spend gambling. Gambling is not there for you to make money. Fill your time with other activities.
Make use of Casino-enabled tools to reduce your time and money on gambling sites. Get the bank to help you limit or block transactions from your account to casino sites and download any software necessary.
Talk to someone you can confide in about your problem. Get the support needed if you have accumulated debt. Go to Gamblers Anonymous meetings. Don’t gamble after self-excluding.
Casinos offer tools like Time, Deposit, and Loss limits. They also have features with pop-up messages reminding gamblers to take a break.
Make use of Self-Exclusion and Time-Outs. These are tools players with gambling addictions can avail of.
The Responsible Gambling Foundation offers BETBLOCKER to limit access to casino sites and other gambling-related content.
GamSTOP is a free self-exclusion service to help UK residents.
GamCare offers a self-assessment tool to help players understand how far their gambling habits have gone.
Recovery requires planning your day ahead to make sure to fill your day and not leave filler gaps of boredom. Live your life one day at a time. Pick up an old hobby, identify your self-sabotage triggers, and keep a daily gratitude journal.

Conclusion

If you feel like your gambling is taking over your life and you are constantly losing control of it, limit the time and money spent on it. Seek support, attend meetings, utilize casino tools, and make use of the tools available to you.

Plan engaging activities, avoid any boredom triggers, and embrace recovery one day at a time. Lead a fulfilling life! Regain control!

About the Author

Hi, I'm Courtney, the Webmaster at No Deposit Kings - We provide visitors with free and easy access to real money casino gaming thanks to no deposit casino bonuses offered by our hand-picked selection of online casinos.

Do You Think Your Gambling Has Spiraled Out of Control?

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