Problem Gambling

Gambling online is a fun way to relax after a stressful day at work, but you should never forget that gambling is a high-risk activity with very serious consequences. That’s why our site is firmly committed to fighting problem gambling and is a proud member of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), which is a non-profit organization whose main objective is to ensure fair and responsible gaming for all online gamblers. Players who do not play for real money just for fun, but with the aim of winning money, are in the group of players at high risk of gambling addiction, and gambling addiction can cost them dearly not only in terms of their financial problems but can also affect their personal lives. Gambling addiction and the prevention of pathological gambling is the main topic of this page here and we want to provide useful information to help those who need special attention.

What Is Gambling Addiction?

Gambling addiction or compulsive gambling is a psychological problem that consists of the lack of self-control of the person who gambles without being able to stop and without being able to set limits for the money he/she bets. As a consequence of this addiction, the gambler has impulsive behaviour when gambling, his daily life is greatly affected, especially his personal relationships and his family and work life. The financial problems are greater and in the worst cases can even lead to illegal acts such as robbery and theft. In Canada, there are more than 500,000 people suffering from this serious psychological problem and unfortunately, the forecasts and statistics indicate a future increase in the number of gamblers affected. In reality, no one is immune to this problem and that is why it is very important to be aware of your own gambling and to be responsible for your decisions when it comes to gambling.

How to Detect a Gambling Problem?

The symptoms of pathological gambling have harmful effects on all areas of the gambler’s life and are first noticed by family members and people closest to the pathological gambler. Gambling addiction has been considered a disease since 1992 when the World Health Organization recognized it as such. Let us now get to know the main criteria that determine pathological gambling as a real health problem:

  • High preoccupation and obsession with gambling
  • Gambling again to make up for losses
  • Restlessness or irritability when gambling stops
  • Gambling to escape from personal problems or negative moods
  • Cheating family and friends to hide their addiction problem
  • Committing illegal acts such as theft and counterfeiting to fund gambling
  • Gambling with increasing amounts to get more excitement
  • Gambling with more money than they have available
  • Risking or losing personal or professional relationships due to gambling
  • Inability to control or stop gambling

How to Gamble Wisely and Responsibly?

The responsible gambler gambles to have fun and not to escape from problems or to win easy money. Nor should they continue to gamble to try to recoup their losses in previous games. When you feel you are going through a bad time of sadness or another negative mood you should never gamble with real money. Gambling with borrowed money is highly irresponsible and should never be done if you want to be a responsible gambler. Always remember that gambling is for fun and not to solve financial or personal problems of any kind. With all these tips to keep in mind and if you have decided that you can have fun at an online casino, you should look for a platform where all the measures against gambling addiction apply. Below we will highlight what these important measures are:

Set time and betting limits: In most legal online casinos, special tools can be used to allow the player to set betting limits in order to control the money he/she spends on this kind of fun. In each game there are different maximum bet limits and if the player wishes, they can select the game options to set limits that are suitable for their gambling budget. In regulated casinos, you can also use the time-play monitoring tool. Operators will also inform you how long you have been playing in a session each time you log in again.

Self-exclusion: Another measure available at online casinos, to prevent gambling addiction, is Self-Exclusion. This requirement is mandatory for all legal casinos in Canada and therefore players can self-exclude themselves from the casino for a certain period of time, which can be different for each casino. Self-exclusion can last for one month, three months, six months or longer.

Protection of Minors

Everyone knows that gambling with online money is forbidden to players under 18 years of age and therefore special measures are in place to prevent them from accessing real-money games. One of these measures is the identification of the player, which is mandatory each time when logging in to the casino. When registering, personal data such as name, surname, ID card number, address, e-mail address and telephone number are also required, which are also used to identify the new player.