Responsible Gambling

Gambling is a form of entertainment and should be enjoyed. To ensure that this is the case, it is important to have an understanding of responsible gambling.

We are firm believers in responsible gambling and gambling awareness. Gambling problems come in all shapes and sizes, and are not confined to those gambling beyond their means. It is important to recognise your own gambling activity and to take responsibility if you feel you may have a problem. There are many helpful resources available to educate and support people affected by gambling issues.

This article explains how you can use all the available gambling tools to ensure you enjoy gambling within limits that are appropriate for your circumstances. Beyond the tools provided by every licensed operator, there are also numerous organisations that are there to help. You can find some of the key websites just below, where you’ll find detailed help and support, and contact details to speak to experts

Responsible gambling links:

Be Gamble Aware (www.begambleaware.org). – Free, confidential help for anyone who is worried about their or someone else’s gambling. Tips for gambling safely, and help understanding what a gambling problem is.

Gamstop (www.gamstop.co.uk). – Gambling self exclusion scheme. A free service that lets you put controls in place to help restrict your gambling.

GamCare (www.gamcare.org.uk) – The leading provider of support for anyone affected by problem gambling in Great Britain.

Responsible gambling background

Placing a bet on sports and casino is now easier than ever before. With the launch and growth in popularity of online gambling it’s now possible to wager large sums of money on the outcome of an event in seconds using your desktop computer or mobile device. Betting at the touch of a button is viewed as a real positive by those who enjoy a responsible bet, but it has increased the pressure ten-fold on a growing section of the community who have a problem with gambling.

With a report suggesting problem gambling costs the UK government up to £1.2 billion a year it’s becoming increasingly obvious to all connected to the industry that the time for change is now. Betting more cash or placing more bets than you are comfortable with is a sign you may have a problem with gambling. Chasing losses and letting your bets affect your mood – both good and bad – is another strong clue that you may have to address your gambling.

Where should you turn if you are struggling with gambling problems? It’s not something that is spoken about as much as other difficulties, such as with alcohol and drugs, but helps is available should you need it. You’ll find it’s easier than before to address your gambling issues and make the necessary changes needed.

In this article we explain the different methods available to problem gamblers seeking help or even just bettors who’d like to limit their betting for a certain period of time to give themselves some breathing space.

Safer gambling – Tools Available to You

Right from your first visit to a betting shop or bookmaker’s website you’ll notice clear responsible gambling messaging. When using a site or app there are more options than when betting in store and many of the responsible gambling adverts are linked to pages will more information.

Below we look at the different safer gambling tools offered by all major bookmakers and how they can be used to protect against the dangerous of problem gambling.

Deposit Limits

Deposits limits are a vital tool if you have an issue with your gambling or even just want to limit the amount you deposit and bet every month. The deposit limits option can be found in the safer gambling section of most bookies and, like the name suggest, this tool allows you to set a limit on how much you spend. This won’t affect your staking in terms of betting from your profits, but it will help stop you depositing more than you want to your betting account.

Deposit limits could be any amount you decide on. For example, you may want to ban yourself from depositing any more than £100 in a single month. When you have reached your set deposit limit and try to add more cash the transaction will be blocked, and you’ll see a message explaining you have reached your deposit limit.

Stake/Loss Limits

The stake or loss limits can also be set by all customers and it works in a similar way to the deposit limits but goes a bit deeper and gives added protection. Let’s start with stake limits. You may have had a problem chasing losses in the past, continually upping your stake in a desperate bid to try to break even. With stake limits you will decide beforehand how much you can stake on a single bet. Let’s say you want to limit your stakes to £10. No matter how good you think the bet is you won’t be able to bet more than £10 on a selection.

Loss limits allow you to put a cap on how much cash you loss over a certain period. For example, you don’t want to risk losing more than £200 in a month. You can stake and bet as you please but as soon as you lose £200 you won’t be able to place another bet until the agreed period is up. This also helps some players limit their stakes to avoid risking going over the limit in a single bet.

Time Out

Once again the clue is in the name with this tool. This is a stronger measure than the above tools, as it enforces a total break for a defined length of time. You can take a time out from that betting site for a certain period, such as a week, a month, or three months. During your time out you won’t be able to deposit or place bets using that account. If you logon to your betting account, you’ll receive a message advising your time out period is still in place. All deposits and bets will be barred.

Taking a time out allows you time to reflect on your gambling, the mistakes you are making and if betting is giving you the kind of enjoyment it should do. It’s more likely that after your chosen period of time out you’ll be in a better position to decide if gambling is for you. It’s then simple to reactivate your account and make bets or close it down.

Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion is a more permanent move that allows you to ban yourself from using a certain betting site or bookmaker’s shop for a long period of time. If you believe your betting has become a problem for you then self-excluding is worth considering. Like the time out it’s easy to do and after you have self-excluded you won’t be able to place another bet on that site or app. Each time you provide your login details you’ll be advised your self-exclusion period is still active and all transactions will be barred.

Most self-exclusions last for 12 months and after that time you can revisit the situation and decide if you want to activate the account again or continue your self-exclusion. The period won’t simply expire, and your betting account will be active again, allowing you to place bets. There is a detailed process that must be completed, and this ensures you don’t make any decisions lightly.