Problem Gambling & Prevention Measures

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It is mandatory for online casinos to make players aware of the dangers of problem gambling, how to prevent this from happening and in the unlikely event the player is afflicted by problem gambling where and how he can find assistance.

Problem gambling is broadly defined as the urge to continue gambling despite being aware that it is having harmful consequences for the player. These consequences could be a deterioration of the physical or mental health of the player; financial troubles arising out of expenditure on gambling being far in excess of what the income can support or the disruption of family life on account of not being able to provide sufficient time or financial support.

Before the issue of problem gambling can be addressed the player has to recognize and accept the problem. Fortunately experts in this area have listed out various symptoms of problem gambling and the player can find these checklists on most online casinos. Some of these warning signs are given below.

Problem Gambling Warning Signs:

• The player spends long periods of time reliving his gambling experiences or planning how to spend money that he has not yet won.
  
  
• The player needs to keep increasing the amounts that he wagers in order to get enjoyment from online gambling.
  
  
• The player feels restless, depressed or irritable when he is not gambling.
  
  
• The player has felt the need to cut down or stop gambling but has been unable to do so.
  
  
• The player gambles to escape from personal problems such as loneliness or marital unhappiness.
  
  
• The player lies to family and friends about his gambling habits and losses.
  
  
• The player habitually borrows money or borrows large sums of money or steals money in order to gamble.
  
• The player gambles at work or college.

As in all else, prevention is better than cure. Therefore online casinos offer a list of dos and don'ts to online players. These are very important and should be kept in mind at all times. Some of the items are stated below.

Preventing Problem Gambling:

• Before starting the player should fix a daily, weekly and monthly limit.
  
  
• Before starting the player should fix how long he should play.
  
  
• The player should gamble for pleasure and not to pay for his new house or his children's education or his existing debts.
  
  
• The player should not borrow money to gamble.
  
  
• The player should not chase losses. And he should also be able to leave the casino when he is winning.
  
  
• The player should understand that online casino games are games of chance and that there are no sure shot winning formulas.

For players who are on the verge of problem gambling online casinos recommend and also provide for a voluntary exclusion periods. If the player activates this facility the online casino will prevent him from gambling for the specified period. Serious problem gambling cases should take professional assistance from organizations like Gamblers Anonymous or GamCare.

Problem Gambling Resources:

• Gamblers Anonymous
• National Council on Problem Gambling
• GamCare

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