Gambling is fun. It makes our heart beat faster when we are close to a big win, and can just as quickly lead us to ecstatic joy or frustration, depending on whether we win or lose.
Gambling is an emotional and economic rollercoaster and it is important to stay safe and in control. Most of us can keep our gaming experience at a level that suits our lifestyle, economy, physical health, and social requirements. But for some, what they enjoyed has become something destructive that controls their lives.
What is Responsible Gambling?
Responsible gambling is gambling that is done in a way that is not negatively affecting one’s life.
Responsible gambling is about not letting greed or emotions dictate the course of the game, but to play, and act, within one’s limits.
What is Problem Gambling?
Problem gambling is the opposite of responsible gambling. Problem gambling is a type of gambling that negatively affects one or more aspects of a person’s life.
On Wikipedia, problem gambling is explained as “an urge to gamble continuously despite negative consequences or a desire to stop. Problem gambling is often defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others, rather than by the gambler’s behaviour.”
Problem gamblers are committed to lose money they can’t afford to lose, spending more time than they have on gambling, or using gaming as a way to “solve” or “forget” problems.
It’s important to understand that problem gambling is a real disease, just like other addictions such as alcohol or drugs
Many people who struggle with this problem are ashamed of the fact that they have an addiction. But it is important to understand that gambling addiction is nothing to be ashamed of. It can be cured, as long as you want it to be.
Responsible Gambling Tenets
We invite you to review the 7 Tenets for Responsible Gambling that we have outlined to help you become a more responsible gambler. Follow these and rest assured, your sports betting habit will never turn into an addiction.
Don’t Chase Your Losses
A major problem with sports betting is that people tend to get really excited while making bets and when they lose, they tend to go about winning that money back.
We have an advice for you: never chase your losses. Accept that you will have days when you won’t be able to win much, and this is absolutely normal. You need to stick to your game plan and not deviate from the strategies you have prepared. No matter how much you have lost, tomorrow is a new day and things could be different.
That’s the beauty of gambling – it’s reliant on luck and chance. Stay calm and collected throughout the journey and stick to your guns.
Bet on What You Know
The second fundamental of gambling is to bet on what you know. The more you know about the game you are playing in, the better position you will be in. By doing so, you will be more confident about the bets you place and your chances of going wrong will be lower.
Set a Fixed Budget
This should be part of not only your responsible gambling, but also your bankroll management. It is extremely important that you set a fixed budget. Once you get past this budget limit, don’t try to go over it by playing casino. After all, remember that you have a budget for your home, rent and whatnot – why not have it for gambling too?
Make Data-Based Decisions
While gambling, always look into the other players stats, try to follow a well-thought-out strategy, listen to yourself and do not raise the stakes if you feel that the risk is unjustified.
Track Your Bets
Your success in the long run will be determined by the type of bets you place, and the best way to achieve this is to determine what works for you.
Be Patient and Disciplined
The success in life comes with hard work, diligence, discipline and patience. The same applies to gambling – in order to be successful in the long run, you need to follow your strategies and stick to them, and not act blindly.
Trust Someone and Share Your Journey
One of the best ways to control your online gambling habit is to trust someone close to you and share your experience with them. When you have a bad day in betting (you will at some point), talk about it with your friends, fellow gambler, or relatives rather than feel obligated to chase your losses.
Remember that even if for some indians gambling may be a taboo, there is no shame in talking about it as long as you do it responsibly. Plus, if you ever feel like your habit is getting out of control, you’ll have someone to talk to.
Sports Betting and Gambling Addiction Signs
Gambling can quickly and subtly turn into an addiction, even if you don’t realize it. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of your betting habits.
For such reasons we have prepared this short list of tell-tale signs of problematic gambling. It is also a self-assessment of sorts for you to see where you stand.
- Lies about gambling to others
- Chasing your losses
- Losing track of time and gambling longer than you’re going to
- Feeling restless when you are not gambling
- Feelings of guilt about your gambling habits and their consequences
- Borrowing or stealing money or selling your possessions to satisfy your habits
- Always bet more than you need and increase your bet sizes to get that surge
- Planning your life around gambling
- Gambling with money earmarked for other important expenses
How to Limit Your Gambling
The great thing about playing on trusted Indian gambling sites is that they already have several measures in place to keep you in control of your gambling. There are some of them:
Deposit Limit
Limits the amount of money that you can deposit.
Loss Limit
Limits the amount of money you can lose.
Wagering Limit
Limits the amount of money you can play for.
Session Limit
Limits the time frame during which you can play.
Self-Exclusion
Closes your casino account for a set amount of time or permanently, if requested.
How to Treat Addiction
As with any addiction treatment, the first step is to recognize and accept that you have a problem. Only then you can focus on treating yourself and getting rid of the problem. Admittedly, it will be a long road to recovery, but with some effort, you will be successful.
In India there are three leading world support organisations which specialise in treating gambling addiction:
Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous, GA, for short, is a group of people who share experiences and work together to help each other. The ‘Anonymous’ fellowships, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and GA, are known for using a “12-step program” to curb addiction.
Gambling Therapy
Gambling Therapy is among the most popular portal when it comes to overcoming gambling addiction. It is an online portal where you can get in touch with trained professionals. The service is free, and the site is available in English, Hindi, and Punjabi.
GamCare
GamCare are mainly focused on people in the UK, but their website is available in English and Punjabi, making it optimal for Indians.
Self Checklist to Be Sure if You are Gambling Responsibly
Gambling habits are always varied; they are not black and white. To understand where you are on the spectrum, the self-assessment check is a valuable tool.
There are several different checks that can be passed online, each one is slightly different; we have compiled statements from the GamCare self-assessment check here below.
- Sometimes I gamble for longer than I intend to.
- Sometimes I lose track of time when I am gambling.
- Other people say that I spend too much time gambling.
- I devote time to my gambling when I really should be doing something else.
- Sometimes I gamble more money than I intend to.
- Sometimes I try to win back money that I have lost gambling.
- Sometimes I gamble with money that really should have been used for something else.
- I sometimes borrow money to enable me to gamble.
- I do not want to tell other people about how much time and money I spend on my gambling.
- People close to me think that I gamble too much.
- Sometimes I feel bad when I think of how much I have lost gambling.
- Sometimes my gambling has left me short of money.
- I feel restless if I do not have the opportunity to gamble.
- Sometimes I feel bad when I think about my gambling.
- My gambling sometimes makes me feel irritated.
How to Spot a Responsible Online Casino in India
Not all Indian casinos are created equal, especially when it comes to their focus on safe and responsible gaming. To find a real money casino in India that provides a good profile of responsible gambling you should follow the next rules:
- Determine their base level of liability by looking at their gambling license. The Maltese License (MGA) is by far the most stringent you will find in India, which means that any online casino with it will automatically place an emphasis on safe play.
- Casinos that have their own responsible gaming portal are also a good sign that the casinos care about you.
Why Don’t All Casinos Have the Same Focus on Safe Play?
The level of responsibility that all casinos take on varies greatly.
Basically there are two reasons for this:
- Gaming license
- Business decision
For Indians who want to play responsibly, casinos licensed in Malta have the most stringent requirements. Licenses issued in Curacao, Gibraltar, Antigua and Barbuda, etc. will still have responsible gaming, but they are not required to offer support in the same way as MGA casinos.
