To gamble safely, you must ensure you have a healthy attitude towards gambling and that you always play responsibly. Secondly, you should ensure you play with regulated casinos with adequate security standards when it comes to customer data protection, fraud prevention and payments.
In this article, we will discuss all aspects of gambling safely online. We will clarify the most crucial responsible gambling practices and provide practical advice on how you can ensure you are gambling responsibly. You will also learn how to detect early warning signs of compulsive gambling in your own behaviour or that of someone you know.
We will also look closely at what constitutes a safe and trustworthy casino site and shed some light on the details of general online safety. Read on for a comprehensive explanation of how to gamble online safely.
Gambling Responsibly
Gambling is a fun and entertaining pastime, and luckily, most players never experience any issues. However, gambling can be addictive and have dire consequences when it is approached compulsively.
Unfortunately, a gambling problem can be difficult to tackle once it has manifested fully, which is why it is best to avoid such a scenario in the first place.
With that being said, it is not always easy to distinguish between a harmless pastime and a compulsive, and potentially damaging, behaviour. The truth is, players may have a hard time discerning between the two and consequently fail to recognise tendencies that indicate a developing gambling problem.
How to Play Responsibly In Six Steps
There are methods which can help you detect and prevent negative gambling patterns.
Responsible gambling starts with developing a healthy attitude, and to that end, there are a few fundamental principles that you should always follow. If you stick to these principles, you will be able to play safely and detect any potential problems early on.
Follow these six straightforward steps to ensure you gamble responsibly and stay wary of any warning signs which may indicate a gambling problem:
Gambling is not a way to make money
Make it clear to yourself that gambling is not a way to earn money, but a form of entertainment which you pay for. You should view your online gambling the same way you view your Netflix subscription.
Never bet more than you can lose
Never bet more than you can lose. You should never exceed your set budget or play with money that is not yours. Last but not least, you must never play with money you have borrowed or try to win your losses back.
Monitor the time you spend gambling
It is easy to lose track of time when you are doing something you enjoy. Consciously monitor the time you spend gambling and ensure you are balancing your gambling with other activities. If family members or people close to you think you spend too much time gambling, do not take it as criticism. Instead, you should see this as an opportunity for you to assess your current situation objectively.
Set a gambling budget and stick to it
Allocate a budget for your gambling entertainment and be disciplined. Never exceed your budget no matter the circumstances. If you find yourself making an excuse to do so, you might very well be on your way to developing an unhealthy attitude towards gambling.
Do not play when you are feeling depressed
Never seek solace through gambling and do not gamble when you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, you should never play when you are feeling depressed. It is essential that you are in a joyful and balanced state when you gamble, and that you do not use gambling to escape from your problems or concerns.
Use Responsible Gambling tools as support
Casinos offer Responsible Gambling tools that can help you limit the time and money you spend playing. If your gambling habits are starting to spiral out of control, you can even request to be excluded from a casino site. We strongly suggest that you use these tools and that you continuously stay aware of any symptoms of compulsive gambling. Finally, you should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek help if you think you are losing control.
How To Know If You Have a Gambling Problem
If you are feeling uncertain about your gambling habits, we suggest you take a quick test. By answering eight simple questions, you can get an assessment of your current gambling habits in less than a minute.
Based on your final score, we will give you a short evaluation of your current gambling habits along with recommendations on how to proceed.
Here is a brief explanation of how this test works and how you should use it:
- The test comprises eight yes or no questions.
- Answering ‘Yes’ to a question gives you 1 point. Answering “No’ gives you 0 points.
- Mark your score on each question and add the points up when you have answered all of the eight questions.
- You will be given an assessment based on your total score. You will also find these assessments and recommendations further down in this article.
It is crucial to keep in mind that this survey is in no way a professional evaluation of your current gambling habits.
It is merely a tool which hopefully helps you develop the necessary awareness and point you towards the appropriate action based on your current situation.
Take Appropriate Action
If your test results have revealed a potential gambling problem, you must act immediately.
Here are the three assessments and recommendations based on your final score, as they are shown in the test:
Seek Professional Help Immediately (6-8 Points)
Unfortunately, your test results show signs of a manifested gambling problem.
It is clear you are not in control of your gambling habits, and we strongly urge you to stop gambling immediately.
We suggest you self-exclude from any gambling sites that you are currently playing with and that you seek professional help.
At this stage, responsible gambling tools will not suffice, and you must seek the help of experienced professionals. You will find contact information to help organisations in the subsequent section of this article.
You Are at Risk of Developing a Gambling Problem (3-5 points)
Your test result shows that you could be on your way to developing a severe gambling problem. Unfortunately, certain tendencies in your gambling habits are strong warning signs which should not be taken lightly.
To prevent these tendencies from manifesting as a full-fledged gambling problem, we suggest you immediately take a break from playing and that you carefully assess your situation.
Furthermore, we strongly suggest that you make use of Responsible Gambling tools as a way of controlling and monitoring your gambling habits. We explain these tools and their benefits in the subsequent section.
You Are Not Currently At Risk (0-3 points)
We are pleased to inform you that your test result does not indicate a developing a gambling problem. With that being said, we still recommend you adhere to the principles that we have discussed in this article.
Responsible Gambling Tools Offered by Casinos
If there are warning signs in your current gambling habits, we recommend you make use of the many responsible gambling tools that are offered by licensed casinos.
By setting a gambling limit, you can ensure you never exceed a set budget or spend more time playing than you originally intended.
Here are the most used responsible gambling tools:
Deposit limits
Limit how much you can deposit within a specified period.
Loss Limits
Specify how much you are willing to lose within a specified period. It is important to keep in mind that the limit is based on your net losses. This means the limit is relative to the bankroll you had at the start of a new period. For instance, if you have set a loss limit of $20 per week, and you had a $100 bankroll at the start of the period, the limit will start working when your bankroll is down to $80. In other words, any additional winnings are not considered.
Bet Limits
Specify how much will be allowed to bet in a specific period.
Time limit
Allows you predetermine how much time you can spend playing in a certain period. Once you have reached the limit, you will not be allowed to play until the limit is reset.
Self-exclusion
Allows you to temporarily close your account. Generally, casinos offer self-exclusion periods ranging from 24 hours to 6 months. When you request a self-exclusion, you will not be able to login to your account until the self-exclusion has expired. You can also request a permanent self-exclusion that will prevent you from ever playing with the casino again.
Regardless of which limit you choose; the fundamental principles are the same. Here is what you need to know about gambling limits:
- A limit is implemented instantly after you have requested it.
- A chosen period starts from the moment you have requested a limit.
- Limits generally span between 24 hours and 3 months. These intervals may differ slightly from one casino to another.
- If you increase a limit, you will have to wait until the limit is reset for your changes to be effected. If you lower a limit, your changes will be implemented immediately.
Seeking Professional Help
If you suffer from a gambling problem, you should never feel ashamed or embarrassed.
Compulsive gambling is a problem which unfortunately affects thousands of people, and just like with any other addiction, there are professionals specialising in this field.
If your test result shows that you have an acute gambling problem, we strongly urge you to contact any of the organisations listed below. That way, you will receive appropriate counselling and hopefully recover as soon as possible.
Gambling Help Online
Gambling Help is an organisation supporting people with gambling problems through online chat, telephone sessions and peer-to-peer support. You can also make use of a gambling calculator and find face-to-face counselling in your state. https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/
Gamblers Help
Cost-free, confidential help offered through face-to-face counselling, online chat sessions and telephone. You can also get in touch with former gamblers who can provide you with peer-to-peer support and help you tackle your current situation. https://gamblershelp.com.au/
Australian Gambling Research Centre
The Australian Government’s official helpline. Visit this site for more information on online counselling and information regarding support for family members and friends. You will also find a free phone number to a helpline which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/gambling-help
Gambler Anonymous Australia
Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences and strength to help each other recover from gambling problems. The organisation conducts 130 local, weekly meetings all across Australia and also offers support to affected partners and family members. https://gaaustralia.org.au/
Choosing The Right Casino
Once you have established that you have a healthy attitude towards gambling, you must look at the security standards of the casino you are playing with. Read on to learn how you ensure a casino is safe and trustworthy.
Choose a Licensed Casino
First and foremost, you must ensure the casino has an adequate gambling license. The best way to ensure the casino is licensed is to look for an emblem from a reputable regulator, along with a license number, in the casino’s footer.
If there is no such information, you should not play with the casino.
Trusted gambling authorities include:
- Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
- UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)
- Gibraltar Gambling Commission
If you want to verify further that the casino is licensed, you can check if it is listed in the regulator’s public licensee register.
Go to the regulator’s official website, find its licensee register, and paste the casino’s license number in the search field. If your search yields a result, you can be absolutely certain the casino is licensed.
Here are three examples of public licensee registers:
- https://secure.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PublicRegister/Search
- https://www.mga.org.mt/mgalicenseeregister/
- https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/finance-gaming-and-regulations/remote-gambling
All casinos that are licensed by reputable regulators have satisfactory security standards. This is because regulators ensure that game results are fair and random and that customers’ payment details and personal information are adequately encrypted.
Although you can trust regulators to do their job, it is still good to at least have some knowledge about online safety. By understanding which security aspects are most important, you can better assess different casinos and gamble even safer.
Data Encryption Explained
A trustworthy casino will use advanced SSL-encryption to protect sensitive customer data. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a standardised security technology that is used to establish an encrypted connection between a server and a client – or in this instance, between you and the casino.
SSL is essentially a protocol which ensures that any information you send to a website is never sent as plain text, but rather as an encrypted message. Only the receiving website can decrypt the data, effectively making it useless to unwanted third-parties who might intercept the information.
You will recognise an encrypted website by the padlock symbol displayed in the web browser’s URL field, next to the web address. Another clear indicator is that SSL-encrypted websites have URLs beginning with ‘https’ rather than ‘http’.
As we have already mentioned, adequate data encryption is a mandatory requirement for online casinos. However, some casinos go the extra mile and acquire additional certifications. If you can see the seal of a trusted cybersecurity company in the casino’s footer, it is always a good sign.
How to Gamble Safer By Choosing Secure Payment Methods
Although licensed casinos encrypt customers’ payment details, choosing an appropriate payment method can provide you with an added layer of security.
For instance, you might want to use an e-wallet instead of a credit card to avoid leaving out your card details on several web pages. This approach might be particularly suitable when you play with several casinos, as it reduces the risk of your payment details ending up in the wrong hands as much as possible.
This does not mean to say that world-standard payment options such as Visa or Mastercard are not safe. After all, these are world-leading payment merchants using incredibly sophisticated security systems. However, if you are still feeling concerned, minimising the number of web pages that store your data is always a good thing.
AuthorSharon Kingsby
Sharon lives and breathes online casinos. She answers all your how, why, where questions to make your online gambling journey fun and successful. read more about the author
