Gambling Addiction

Are You A Responsible Gambler?

With the increased popularity of sports betting, responsible and problem gambling has likewise come into focus. While most casual punters would regard themselves as responsible when it comes to their wagering, it can often be difficult to tell where responsible gambling ends and problem gambling begins.

WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING?

A typical responsible gambler is one who bets for fun and entertainment value while appreciating the risks associated with gambling. Being mindful, such gamblers are able to control their wagering, maintaining a balance between their betting and other life pursuits.

Importantly, responsible gambling is not just about any one individual. It also requires those within the gaming industry to raise awareness by providing resources, educating casual gamblers and helping them recognise the signs of problem gambling in themselves, family, friends and colleagues

WHAT IS PROBLEM GAMBLING?

A problem gambler is one who is having difficulty limiting both the amount they are wagering and likewise, the time they are spending focusing on their betting. We can say this behaviour becomes problematic when it begins to have an adverse impact on both the professional and personal lives of the gambler.

While many gamblers are able to recognise that their wagering is negatively impacting their lives, many are not as capable. In this respect, we may define a problem gambler as one who is able to recognise the negative impact of their betting, but is unable to take the steps required to get their wagering under control.

ARE YOU A PROBLEM GAMBLER?

Do you feel that your wagering is having a negative impact on your life? Are you struggling to deal with increasing credit card debt as a result of your gambling? Having trouble paying your bills and other financial obligations? Is your gambling a priority over family and professional commitments? Are you chasing losses in the hope of resolving your financial concerns?

ASSESSING GAMBLING BEHAVIOUR

If your gambling is a concern, we encourage you to perform a risk assessment test. Consider your behaviour over the last 12 months and answer the following questions:

• Have you bet more than you could afford to lose?
• Have you needed to bet in larger amounts to get the same feeling of excitement?
• Have you felt the need to go back the next day to win back losses?
• Have you borrowed money or sold anything to provide the funds to gamble?
• Have you felt you might have a problem with gambling?
• Has your gambling caused health concerns including stress and/or anxiety?
• Has your gambling caused financial stress?
• Has your gambling left you feeling guilty or ashamed?

If you answered yes to a number of these questions, you may be a problem gambler. While you may be feeling isolated, the good news is that you are not alone and there are plenty of organisations prepared to help you with your recovery.

RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING MEASURES

Bookmakers provide a number of tools to help you keep your gambling responsible. These include but are not limited to:

SELF EXCLUSION

Bookmakers give customers the ability to exclude themselves from their site and wagering for a selected period of time. Once the exclusion period has been set, the customer cannot gain access to their betting account until the period of exclusion has ended.

PRE-COMMITMENT DEPOSIT LIMITS

Bookmaker provide customers with the ability to set limits on the amount they can deposit. Once a customer has committed to a deposit limit, the limit cannot be raised for a certain number of days, while lowering the limit is typically allowed at any time.

COULD BOOKMAKERS DO MORE?

While bookmakers provide a number of tools to help customers keep on top of their gambling, they could do more. Bookmakers across the industry maintain an industrious eye on each of their customer accounts and could employ such technology to flag customers they believe may be wagering beyond their means. Such measures if introduced would be widely applauded by the broader community and responsible gambling campaigners.