Responsible gaming

Gambonus offers the latest information about online casinos and bonuses. Our commitment to users extends beyond that, as we are actively involved with our community. 

The core message we try to send to all of our users, visitors and members throughout our content is that gambling is a fun and amusing way to spend your time. 

Ensuring that gambling stays within the domain of fun and enjoyment, while at the same time providing helpful resources and guidance for the people struggling with responsible gambling, remains our focus. 

As a comprehensive gambling resource, this is what reflects our core values. 

However, while we understand that online gambling is (and should always stay) a form of entertainment, this activity can set challenges for a small, but serious segment of players. 

The risk of developing gambling problem, habit and addiction for these players mainly occurs due to the fact they perceive online casinos as a source of income, which may lead to financial and other social problems. 

This is why we are fully dedicated to promoting responsible gambling by offering professional resources that can help you and/or your loved ones if you are facing difficulties with controlling your impulses while gambling, but want to continue enjoying gambling in a secure and responsible environment. 

Responsible gambling is our company’s core principle and goes beyond any casino, game or bonus we recommend. 

This is the main reason why we created this page, so we can provide insightful and beneficial information to users who may not be able to control their gambling patterns.

Keep reading to find out more. 

What is Problem Gambling?

Not everyone who gambles develops problem gambling. 

But for some people, gambling, which started as a type of fun, can turn into a habit and possibly a chronic mental health condition affecting many aspects of their life. 

This is called problem gaming or problem gambling – a behavioral addiction that occurs when people lose control over their gambling behaviors.

Problem gambling is sometimes referred to as gambling disorder or gambling addiction, and this type of behavior is detrimental to a person and his/her family, often ruining their daily life, relationships and career. 

The truth is – anyone who indulges in gambling is at the risk of developing a gambling problem. 

This is why a gambling disorder is qualified as a mental health disorder, and it’s characterized by repetitive and harmful gambling behavior, despite all negative consequences. 

When a person develops problem gambling or gambling disorder, he or she has no control over their gambling behavior. In other words, they can not control their impulses and how they act when it comes to their gambling activities. 

Many troublesome gambling habits fall under the category of problem gambling.

For example, they include chasing losses, borrowing money to gamble more, spending more money than a person can afford to lose, spending excessive amounts of time gambling, gambling when feeling distressed, neglecting family, friends and other everyday normal tasks just to enjoy the dopamine surge that comes with online gambling. 

What Are the Signs of Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling interferes with major areas of a person’s life – relationships, work, career and overall financial stability. 

Here are some more specific signs and symptoms to lookout for, as they can indicate a gambling disorder. 

• Frequently thinking and obsessing about gambling, logging into an online casino account is constantly on a person’s mind;
• Making gambling a primary source of income;
• Compulsive need to gamble with greater amounts of money or risking valuable items person cannot afford, hoping to receive a better reward or the same level of pleasure and excitement;
• Being mysterious or lying about gambling activities, or even hiding them from family and friends;
• Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control or stop gambling;
• Irritability, frustration, anger, misery, restlessness or feeling anxious when a person tries to stop gambling;
• Gambling when feeling distressed, as a way to escape from unpleasant and negative feelings;
• Neglecting important relationships and core values in life, just so the person can gamble;
• Chasing losses, which refers to as gambling over and over again, so the person can regain recent gambling-related losses;
• Borrowing money and relying on other people to fund person’s gambling behavior;
• Continuing to gamble even if it negatively affects and disrupts person’s finances, work, education or relationships.

   

Keep in mind that a person doesn’t have to experience all the above-mentioned signs of problem gambling. Some of the symptoms may be present, and some of them won’t be experienced at all. 

What Are the Consequences of Problem Gambling?

Problem gaming isn’t just an issue for the person that gambles. Problem gaming impacts everyone around that person, especially family members, friends and work colleagues. 

It is an interesting, but at the same time, devastating fact that each problem gambler negatively affects the lives of six people on average. 

Some of the negative effects and consequences of problem gambling are the following: 

• Serious financial losses that lead to financial disaster and bankruptcy, due to overdue bills, money borrowing and exceeding the limits of credit cards.
• Loss of property and severe debts;
• Losing a job due to poor work performance or even gambling at the workplace. 
• Problematic behavior and issues in interpersonal relationships with family and friends;
• Breakup, divorce, children restraining orders and many other legal problems;
• Participating in criminal or illegal activity, so the person can fund its compulsive gambling behavior;
• Anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health disorders;
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts or behavior.

   

Clearly, problem gaming and its negative consequences go way beyond financial wreckage. It can visibly damage physical and mental health, interpersonal relationships and job-related productivity and efficacy.  

Prevention – Tips for Responsible Gambling

Even if you don’t have any signs of a gambling problem, that surely doesn’t mean you should be off-guard regarding your gambling habits. Being cautious and careful are traits that will benefit you more than you think. 

We want to share some tips you can use to keep your gambling behavior under control. 

Gambling is just for entertainment purposes, not a source of income.

Gambling should always remain a type of entertainment or a hobby. In other words, gambling should never be seen as a way to make money. 

Yes, there are professional gamblers who do this for a living. However, that does not apply to the majority of players who gamble casually. 

Wager wisely.

Don’t bet everything on a single session. Like everything else in life, the key is in moderation, which means you should spread your gambling budget into tinier, multiple sessions. 

This will allow you not just to gamble more often, but if a loss occurs, it won’t significantly affect your mood or your bankroll. 

Set limits and lower expectations.

Setting explicit limits on how much you are willing to spend in a gambling session or over a period of time (for example – in a week) is one of the core principles of responsible gambling. Never try to go beyond your own limit. 

Also, always assume you are going to lose some money while gambling. This way, you will less likely chase losses and be disappointed. 

Be informed. 

Even if you love gambling, don’t rush to play new and colorful games with real money. 

Be patient, test new games for free (if they offer demo mode, and most of them do). This is the way to stay informed and to determine whether the game is right for you, do you feel comfortable playing it, etc. 

If you don’t find the particular game enjoyable, simply move one and don’t invest real money in it. 

Don’t try to cover a loss immediately. 

You can’t win it all in the casino. You can try it, but eventually you will fail – that’s why it’s called gambling. 

Don’t beat your head when a loss inevitably occurs. Just try to call it a day and move on. We completely understand that you might feel stressed or discouraged in these situations. 

But, instead of trying to chase loss and win it back, come back to gamble some other day when you’re not feeling distressed and are able to make better decisions. 

And remember – only play with the funds you intended to gamble with. Don’t cross over your gambling budget, don’t use money for your daily expenses and don’t borrow money to gamble. 

Don’t gamble in bad moments.

When you are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally down, or you are just having any other problem in your life, don’t try to gamble in these moments. 

Although gambling is a type of fun, it should never be used as a mask or a way to avoid problems in life. 

Recognize the signs of problem gambling

Always stay aware of what the signs and symptoms of problem gambling are, and constantly assess yourself. 

If you realize you are spending way too much time playing games, trying to chase losses, neglecting family and friends for gambling, or you are starting to perceive gambling as a source of income, then it is time to take a break. 

Always have additional hobbies. 

It’s OK to make gambling your hobby, but that should not be your only hobby and the only way to spend your spare time. 

Always have more hobbies and try to alternate between them. This way, you will easily control how much time you spend gambling in an online casino. 

Keep a record.

When you are having fun and joy it is easy to get carried away and forget how much time you’ve spent gambling or how much money you have spent wagering. 

Always try to keep a record of your gambling sessions’ playtime and the amount of money you have invested. 

Also, regularly check these records in order to see if there was an unintentional increase in any of them.

Check for responsible gaming tools on a casino’s website

When accessing any casino website, always do the research to see whether the website contains any responsible gaming tools or a promotion. If it doesn’t exist, then don’t play on the site. 

At Gambonus.com, responsible gambling is one of the assessment criteria for our casino reviews and is a strong indicator of a legit online casino website. 

Don’t drink and play.

You know how they always say don’t drink and drive? Well, the same thing applies to gambling, as these two – gambling and alcohol – don’t go hand in hand. 

Remember that alcohol can affect your judgment and decision-making ability. Therefore, you won’t be able to enforce your responsible gaming rules.

Seek professional help.

If you feel like you’re struggling with an escalating gambling problem, or you notice even the slightest negative changes in your gambling habits (for example – you invest more money, or you spend more and more time gambling), it is of the utmost importance that you first acknowledge these changes. 

Admitting that you have problem gambling is the first and the most important step towards successful recovery, since it will make you realize that you need specialized help from an authorized institution. 

What Are Responsible Gambling Tools at Online Casinos?

Many people think that a gambling problem only impacts a player and that this is not an issue for casino operators or gaming providers. 

Well, this couldn’t be further away from the truth. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. 

If a player has a gambling problem, that also affects the gambling market. Here’s how. 

Imagine that you had a big loss while gambling and that you recognized a gambling problem. Let’s say that you seek professional help, which will inevitably keep you off gambling for a while – or even forever. 

If a player quits gambling even for a short period of time, it will affect the gambling market. Less players means less cash flow, which can lead to market collapse. 

This is exactly the reason why casino operators and software developers have the interest in protecting players and keeping them safe. 

If more players gamble responsible, they will gamble for longer periods of time, which automatically means more clients and customers for casino operators and gaming developers.

All legit, reputable and trustworthy online casinos know this, and they partner up with specialized organizations that can help players with gambling problem. 

Besides, casino operators often provide direct support and detailed guidelines which are meant to help players recognize whether they have gambling problem in the early stages. 

Some casinos might even restrict players’ access to the website if they identify a potential problem. 

This is why reputable and renowned online casinos will offer some features and tools to help players gamble responsibly.

Self-exclusion 

If you want to restrict your access to a casino for some period of time, you can do it by self-excluding from the platform. 

Depending on your preferences and choices, self-exclusion action will ban your account for periods that can range from days and weeks, to years. 

In some countries, there are independent self-exclusion institutions that allow players to restrict their access to all the regulated casinos in the network.

Deposit and withdrawal limits 

Most online casinos allow players to set a transaction limit, regarding deposit and withdrawal. 

Although these limits can be changed at any time from the settings, players can always use this feature to protect themselves from spending excessive amounts of money. 

There are some jurisdictions where credit card gambling transactions are banned to prevent problem gamblers from extending their debt.

Reality checks/Activity reminders

Reality check is a tool that many online casinos offer and its purpose is to prevent players from spending too much time gambling. 

If you use “Reality check” feature, an online casino will send you a message if you have been logged in for a given period of time. 

Usually, these messages are displayed hourly as pop-up buttons and players have to confirm their intent to continue playing. 

History of gambling activity

All online casinos provide access to players’ full gambling history, where they can see a detailed list of all spending, earnings and other information about their activity. 

Checking the history of gambling activity can absolutely help players make some conclusions about their gambling habits and determine whether they’re gambling responsibly or not. 

Autoplay controls 

Most online casinos have opted for slots that have so-called autoplay controls. This enables players to customize the auto-spins feature.  

For instance, autoplay controls include the number of spins, stop on maximum win or loss… 

Take a Break 

“Take a break” or “time-out” is a tool that most casinos offer and implies temporary restriction of a player’s account for a set amount of time – usually between 1 day and 1 week. 

Instant account termination 

Is there a better way to stop gambling than removing or deleting your account?

This is the reason why most online casinos allow players to permanently and instantly close their account at their request. 

In rare situations, when a player’s account isn’t instantly terminated, there is an option to start a dispute with the casino. 

Problem gambling behavior tracking 

Lately, most online casinos use machine-learning algorithms to determine if a player is gambling irresponsibly.

For example, these algorithms check things such as total spending, session durations or deposit frequency. If a casino’s system notices any suspicious activity, the player’s account can be flagged. 

All the responsible gambling tools and features that we have mentioned above are proven to be effective in reducing problem gambling if used correctly. 

How to Recognize If You Have a Gambling Problem?

It’s important to periodically assess your gambling behavior.

Answering the following questions can help you determine if you’re struggling with a gambling problem. 

• Do you experience restlessness, irritability, mood swings or anger during or after your gambling session? 

• Do you hide your gambling activities, especially losses from your family members and friends?

• Have you ever tried to lower the amount you wager, but weren’t successful?

• Have you ever tried to break the law to get gambling funds? 

• Have you ever found yourself borrowing money from your loved ones or taking bank credit, so you can fund your gambling activities?

• Have you ever felt the need to increase your wagers to boost dopamine rush?

• Do you isolate yourself from others just so you can gamble?

• Do you neglect or postpone important daily activities, just so you can gamble alone? 

• Do you feel like you’re gambling to avoid problems in life? 

• Have you ever sold any of your possessions or assets to get money for gambling or pay back your casino debts?

• Do you make a promise and then break it, just so you can gamble?

• Do you have any gambling debts?

• Do you ever feel the need to gamble again after a long gambling session, just so you can regain the loss?

   

If your answer to any of these questions was “Yes”, it might be time to reevaluate your gambling habits, as it can interfere with your personal and professional life. 

Responsible Gambling Help and Resources

Gambling disorder is a serious issue. We at Gambonus.com want to guide you towards responsible gambling practices.

Our main goal is to help players learn the risks of problem gambling and how to gamble responsibly.

Here are some helpful resources for assistance:

• Professional Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other therapeutic approaches help fight problematic gambling habits.
• Support Groups. Gamblers Anonymous and other similar groups offer support, assistance and encouragement.
• Resource Organizations. There are some authorized organizations such as GambleAware and GamCare that provide counseling and informational resources.
• Family and Friends Support. Emotional support of the closest ones is the backbone of responsible gambling. 
• Financial Counseling. This is a special type of help that can manage gambling-related financial difficulties.
• Lifestyle Changes. Implementing healthy hobbies and activities supports overall well-being and recovery.

   

We will finish this text in the same way we started it. 

Remember that gambling should always be fun. When there is no fun anymore, it is time to seek help.