How to gamble safely

Gambling can be not only an exciting pastime for adults, but also a big problem, because it causes addiction.

Some gamblers are able to play in the casino quite often without much damage to their wallet, while others become addicted to gambling, which affects their financial and general well-being, as well as endangers their own lives and the lives of people around them.

Gambling addiction is a dangerous enemy. It is difficult to overcome, especially in the later stages, so it is best to prevent its formation. In this article, we will share various advices that will help players play safely and reduce the risk of addiction. We hope that they will help you as well.

1. Remember! Gambling is entertainment.

Instead of playing with the goal of getting rich, treat gambling as a kind of good entertainment, for which you need to pay a little.

For example, if you go to the movies, have dinner in a cafe or restaurant, or attend any entertainment events, you usually pay for tickets, meals, and drinks.

As for gambling, here you pay for the opportunity to play, and traditional and online casinos conduct a profitable business, providing you with such an opportunity.

Of course, money will always be an important aspect, as well as the excitement that comes with the possibility of a great win-all this makes gambling even more interesting.

Of course, some people like to play for free, but most still prefer to play when real money is at stake. And it’s really exciting! But money should not be the goal of the game, even though it adds a special value to the game process as entertainment.

If you want to play, do it because you like the game itself and its inherent excitement, and not because you want to hit a huge jackpot.

2. Gambling is not a way to earn money

Unfortunately, many people gamble in order to get rich or at least solve their financial problems. However, this approach is not only harmful, but extremely dangerous, because dreams of a big win are hooked on gambling, causing a real gambling addiction.

And what is most terrible— this seemingly “one hundred percent” huge jackpot, as a rule, does not come, and players who expect to get rich through gambling, drive themselves into an even more difficult situation.

If you want to play safely and minimize the possibility of developing gambling addiction, then you need to get rid of thoughts of wealth through gambling forever, and as soon as possible.

Remember! Gambling is not a way to earn money. In the rules of all gambling games, the mathematical advantage of the casino is inevitably laid down, so the odds are always against the player.

Don’t make this mistake! Never play in a casino with the goal of winning money, getting rich, or substantially solving your financial problems. With such a harmful approach, you will definitely only get new problems.

3. Always play only for the amounts that you do not mind losing

The most likely outcome of gambling addiction is very big financial problems. Unfortunately, gamblers often borrow money and do everything possible to ensure that they have as much money as possible for gambling.

They also often cut back on their other expenses to save more for the game.

As a rule, everything starts with completely unnecessary things or luxury items. However, then, as the addiction develops, players also begin to sacrifice what is necessary and, for example, cut down on food, housing, and so on.

We advise you, for security reasons, to set a budget and play only for money that you can afford to lose, without sacrificing your personal needs and the needs of your family, purchases, savings and other valuable things.

If you find that you have lost an amount that exceeds the budget you have allocated for gambling, or you start to cut your other expenses in favor of gambling, then most likely you have already developed a gambling addiction.

4. Track the time and money spent on the game

It’s easy to lose your sense of time while playing. Modern games are incredibly exciting, and the time behind them flies by unnoticed. For example, you planned to play for only 30 minutes, but you end up playing for more than 2 hours.

The same goes for money. As a rule, our brain remembers wins better than losses, which creates a false impression about the amount of money you have lost over the years. We are sure that many regular players will be shocked if they find out about the amounts they have lost in a lifetime.

That is why it is important to keep track of how much time and money you spend on gambling. Always keep track of the duration of the game. Note the start time of the game, and ideally set up notifications with game statistics showing its duration.

Many casinos also have notifications with information about money lost or won in the current session, which can be very useful. However, from them you will learn about the loss only in one session. For general statistics of your gambling expenses, you will have to keep it yourself, since casinos usually refuse to provide players with such information.

5. Set the maximum amount you can spend on the game

You can also set limits for individual casinos. There are a large number of options for limits and restrictions. Not all of them are available in online casinos, but you can definitely use some of them.

We strongly recommend using the following limit combinations:

• Limits on the duration of the game: allow you to limit the time a player spends playing the game, within a certain period.
• Deposit Limits or Loss limits: Depending on the type of limit you choose, you will only be able to deposit or lose certain amounts during the specified time.

By using these two limits at the same time, you will limit both the amount of money you play with and the time you play.

The limits only apply to the casinos where they were set up, so they are quite easy to circumvent. So in the matter of limiting the game, you should not completely rely only on the limits.

6. Do not play in debt

When talking about common financial mistakes when gambling, it is important to mention the ban on gambling in debt. We have already mentioned that you should only play for money that you can afford to lose.

If you borrow money, then you can no longer afford such a game, even if your brain says otherwise.

There is a difference between taking out a loan before your next paycheck and just borrowing from a friend, for example, $ 1,000, since there was no ATM nearby (that is, you have money, but no cash). We do not support either, but by and large we often consider the first example.

The most common situation is a loan until the next salary, when it will be possible to pay off. At first glance, it seems harmless, but it usually happens just the opposite, and the reasons for this are as follows:

• Playing for money in debt can lead to stress, which will affect your health, make you make wrong decisions and further complicate the situation.
• An uncontrolled loan will exacerbate an already difficult financial situation and ruin lives.
• The very fact that you have to borrow money to play, says that you have no extra funds.
• You can also contact shadow lenders or just dangerous people, which is already a threat.

Even if you feel like you have everything under control, never borrow money to play.

7. Don’t try to win back

The desire to win back, that is, to return the lost money, is one of the surest ways to lose everything. Instead of short gaming entertainment sessions, the player faces large financial losses, which can eventually lead to the development of gaming addiction.

Of course, losing is always bad, and the desire to win back is quite natural. However, it is important to treat gambling correctly. Don’t expect to win money and treat gambling simply as paid entertainment.

If you expect to lose, which is quite a logical outcome in gambling, then you will not have the desire to win back, because you were already ready to lose your money.

Otherwise, you will begin to drive yourself deeper into the trap, from which it is very difficult to get out. Don’t make a common mistake — set your budget for the game and stop playing as soon as you reach it.

8. Use self-exclusion features

Try the self-exclusion option. This option is available in almost all online casinos. You can use it to block access to the game for a certain time. The period of self-exclusion can vary from a few hours to several years.

After that, your access to the game will be blocked until the deadline expires. Some casinos can remove the self-exclusion on request. However, this does not happen immediately, but after a while.

The self-exclusion only applies to one casino, and this restriction is easily circumvented by simply switching to another casino.

Self-limiting and self-exclusion features are not a panacea for safe play. They can be useful, but a player with an addiction will always find a way around any of them. Therefore, if you feel that the gambling excitement is getting out of control, consider other solutions to the problem.

9. Do not play in a depressed, upset condition, and do not try to escape from problems with the help of the game

Negative emotions like depression and sadness make you weaker, both mentally and physically. You stop thinking logically, which is already the reason why you can’t play in a depressed condition.

You start making bad decisions. In addition, negative emotions and bad mood are dangerous in themselves, so you need to fight them. Trying to distract yourself by gambling will not do you any good, and your mental state will deteriorate even more.

In addition, playing in a casino to escape from problems usually ends up with even more problems. If you are careful about gambling, it can be very exciting.

But be sure to remember: with the help of gambling, you can not solve, or even distract from current problems.

10. Do not gamble while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Gambling in combination with alcohol or drugs is a very bad idea. Under the influence of these substances, a person can not make informed decisions and loses more than when playing in a sober state.

However, this is not all. A clear mind is necessary to control yourself during the game. Playing under the influence of various substances can not only lead to a one-time loss, but also cause gambling addiction.

The use of alcohol and drugs is already bad in itself, but in combination with gambling, serious problems can not be avoided. You will start to feel the urge to gamble every time you have a couple of whiskies with your friends, and the relationship between gambling and alcohol or drugs is unlikely to lead to anything good. If you want to play-always do it only on a sober head.

11. Keep a balance between gambling and other activities

Gambling for too long leads to addiction. It can also be a signal that you already have a problem and need to address it.

As a rule, addicted gamblers prefer gambling to other activities and even to people around them. They begin to pay less attention to hobbies, work or family and devote all their free time to gambling.

If you want to play safely, you need to do other things too. It is very important that there is a place in your life not only for games. Work, spend more time with your family, and pursue your favorite hobbies.

If you feel that you are not coping and gambling is becoming the main activity in your life, then it’s time to fight addiction.

12. Only play the game in fair casino

To gamble safely, you need to choose an honest and reliable casino. Of course, you can be a responsible player who only plays for fun, controls expenses, and does everything right. But if you choose a bad casino that will try to deceive you with all its might, then you will definitely be helpless if you suddenly win a large amount and try to withdraw it.

Therefore, be careful when choosing a casino-read the reviews on our website and study the complaints of other players to find out how the casino treats its players.

We also recommend that you read our code of fair online casinos to learn about the most common problems that arise between players and the casino, as well as the rules that will help you avoid violating the terms and conditions of the casino.

13. Watch out for the symptoms of gambling addiction

The problem of gambling addiction is easier to solve if you notice it in the early stages. If you realize that you are developing (or have already developed) a gambling addiction, take steps to combat it before it destroys your life and the lives of your loved ones.

To do this, it is important to monitor the symptoms of gambling addiction. Check out our article and find out the typical behavior of people with gambling addiction. This way you can better understand your gaming habits and start taking action as soon as you feel that something has gone wrong.

14. Don’t be afraid to talk about problems and ask for help

Overcoming gambling addiction is always difficult, so it is best to seek help from family members, close friends, or even professionals. It is always better to talk to someone than to keep everything to yourself — so the situation will become much easier.

Therefore, if you feel that your desire to play begins to get out of control, then immediately ask for help. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to such a dangerous condition as gambling addiction.

In our article on how to deal with gambling addiction, we have listed various resources that can help you. Be sure to read them and choose the best option for yourself.

To find support centers, hotlines, and treatment clinics available in your country, use our list of support centers for people with gambling addiction.

We do not guarantee that these advices will definitely help you avoid gambling addiction. In the long run, even one mistake can lead to the development of this very bad habit. The only way to completely protect yourself is not to play at all. However, you can also follow our recommendations and do your best to play safely.