Responsible Gambling Guide

Gambling can lead not only to a positive experience. Those, who lose their self – control, may face with gambling addiction. Actually, it has already been around with us for centuries, and with the advent of information technology, various versions of games increase the number of people addicted to them.

The game for the gambler can become the most important part of life, and a person will not notice what is happening around him. Basically, the addiction gradually leads to the fact that a person is no longer interested in all the activities that are waiting outside of the game. There may not even be a desire to maintain relationships with friends, life may do not bring pleasure since this requires leaving the game. If addicted plays for money, the situation may even be worse.

No one is immune from gambling addiction, regardless of age, the difference is only in the varieties of games and places. Continue reading to learn what other signs are there, how you can control and overcome the problem.

How to recognize a problem?

For some people, it may not be easy to face reality and recognize that there is something wrong. The development of addiction often begins with an attempt to overcome the boredom or to cope with stress. Then people who are prone to developing addiction fall into a hormonal trap. Adrenaline, dopamine, and other hormones released into the bloodstream during the game and at the moment of winning give such strong sensations that the player comes back for them again and again. Neurohormones put him in a kind of trance, in which he is not aware of the actions.

To recognize the problem you have to watch out to some signals. The main criteria by which you can understand that a person is addicted are:

  • indifference to the world around,
  • lack of life goals,
  • all communication is eventually reduced to the topic of games;
  • lack of normal appetite,
  • failure to fulfill obligations;
  • slovenly appearance;
  • search for money and taking valuables out of the house.
  • lack of reasonable, rational reasons to play;
  • inability to refuse an offer to play;
  • an increasing amount of time spent playing games;
  • prioritize participation in the game over all other aspects of life (work, school, family responsibilities, etc.);
  • harming yourself and others (loss of work, financial debts, sale of family property, theft, etc.).

The problem is that addiction also affects health. A large amount of hormones released into the blood makes the organs to work in an abnormally intensive mode, which leads to violations in their work. The psyche is also exhausted. In general, gambling – addicted person often resembles a person with an alcohol or drug addiction. If you found some signs or knew someone who does – continue reading.

How can I stay at control?

The situation may be taken under control. In the United States, there are special criteria by which a person can be diagnosed as a pathological player. In order not to become one, make sure you DO NOT do the next:

  • frequent participation in the game to make money for the game;
  • feel restlessness or irritability if the game doesn’t go the way you want;
  • frequent participation in the game for large sums of money;
  • feel the need to increase the size and frequency of bets to achieve desired excitement;
  • experience repeated loss of money in the game and take them on loan “until tomorrow” to recoup the loss;
  • have repeated attempts to decrease or stop participation in the game;
  • increasing the frequency of play in situations when you have to do your professional or social responsibilities;
  • sacrificing certain important social, professional, or recreational activities for the sake of play;
  • continue to play despite being unable to pay growing debts.

To keep control in this situation we recommend to use some advice that will help to gamble responsibly.

Responsible Gambling Tips

  1. Create strict game balance control

You must strictly control your personal expenses, as well as the funds you plan to use for slot machines or online casinos. This should be an amount that will not cause serious financial problems if it is lost. To maintain a comfortable psychological state, it is very important not to be afraid to lose the amount planned for the casino.

  1. Refuse of loans and loans

If a person does not have extra money but is eager to borrow money from friends to recoup, this is a clear sign of the disease. Of course, there is a chance that you will be able to distribute the debts with the winnings, but addicted are not able to keep the money in their hands.

  1. Control of time spent in the casino

One of the casino’s goals is to make the user forget about time and fully immerse themselves in the game process. But this is very dangerous, as a person quickly gets carried away and spends in virtual space all day long. So many people lose their jobs, family, and source of income. Finally, this way a person can “lose” the entire life.

  1. Set limits for the game

Even a profitable series must be finished on time. To make it easier to manage your own emotions, set clear goals, and limit them to a limit of funds. For example, set a goal of $ 10, after reaching which you will leave the site of the online casino. At the same time, set a limit, for example, of $ 5, after losing which you will have to stop. Try to strictly adhere to goals, limits, and control your emotional state.

  1. Refuse to increase bids multiple times

An addict often follows the “catch up” strategy, increasing the bets several times after each loss. However, on the 5th-6th round, the bet will be 16-32 times higher than the original one, after which a person can no longer increase the bet amount. Losing this amount, you can lose significantly more than losing the original bet several times.

How can I seek help?

Because of the powerful psychological and biochemical basis of gambling addiction, it is almost impossible to cure it on your own. The patient often does not even realize the need for treatment.

The first and necessary step to treatment is for the patient to accept the existence of the problem. This may require one or more conversations with a psychotherapist. After that, you can directly start therapy.

Treatment of advanced addiction, when the patient has already developed depression, neurosis, suicidal thoughts, is carried out with the use of medications. At the initial stages, there is a chance to do without pharmacology. However, medication is not the main method in any case. Treatment of gambling dependency is carried out using psychotherapeutic methods. Effective combination of group and individual therapy.

Where to go for help and what services you can get if you feel that you play too much, spend too much of your time or money on games, or your loved ones are worried that you are gambling? Go to the places we have listed below. There you will find professionals that are ready to help you round the clock.

Local US organizations you may ask for help

National Council On Problem Gambling, Washington D.C.
https://www.ncpgambling.org/
Contact number: 1-800-522-4700

This place is the oldest and most popular in betting issues. It is almost 50 years old. The main idea is based on two principles: organization advocates problem players and their families and keeps an unbiased position with respect to the action of betting. This can be called the main source of information for all Americans. Every day they save thousands of lives. The organization has several programs to help overcome the problem.

  • They have organized a 24 – hour confidential national helpline (call or text via the phone number)
  • National Referral Resource provides on-place help addicted people.
  • Problem Gambling Awareness Month – a campaign organized every March pointing to gather caring people together and discuss their points of view.

1 800 Gambler, West Virginia
https://www.1800gambler.net/
Contact number:  1-800-426-2537

1 800 Player is the second popular US helpline that makes a difference. They handle issues connected to problem betters and make successful stories out of them. The organization offers numerous ways to contact them or to get useful information and brochures related to betting. The organization has also collected hundreds of successful stories – you can read them too, in case you need some motivation. There are several ways you can get help here:

  • Call them
    1 800 Gambler has a free, confidential, 24-hour helpline. You can contact helpline specialists that will reply to any of your questions, or get quick emergency counseling. They offer assistance to the family of problem players as well. Also, there is an option to set up an arrangement and receive a call later.
  • Get a treatment
    Free personal discussion with professionals in your community. These specialists have broad experience in dealing with betting addiction.
  • After recovery leading
    Staff will continue helping you even after recovery. You may receive phone calls, e-mails, or contact via online chat. The specialists contact the patient’s private therapist to keep up on how the progress of recovering is going.

Smart recovery, Ohio
https://www.smartrecovery.org/
Contact number: 440-951-5357

This organization helps you to create personal motivation to give up gambling as soon as possible. Also, they provide help at the hardest moments, and help to deal with problems, keep up a healthy lifestyle, and way more. With the help of these places, you can develop skills to have a happy and successful life.

Arizona Division of Problem Gambling
https://problemgambling.az.gov/
Contact number: 602-542-8998

This place gives assistance not only to a person but to families as well. In case you need some help, the team of professionals is ready to help any time of the day or night. There are some programs to keep up after recovering. Also, they often launch public media campaigns to increase awareness. From recent times self – exclusion program become available to spend some time in isolation without gaming opportunities.

Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling
https://gamblinghelp.org/
Contact number: (888) 236 – 4848

This organization provides a 24 Hour Helpline. It is fully confidential and multilingual. They increase awareness around the question of problem gambling and supports people that have faced this problem. FCCG has gained a full team of professionals ready to provide assistance at any time.

Monthly they make discussions on the Internet on some topics related to gambling. They vary every time but are very interesting and touching: you may find some tests, advice, or recommendations. So keep in mind this place to get useful news first.

Brick House Recovery Boise, Idaho
Contact number: (208) 816-4363

It has been operating and providing high – quality service since 2014. This place gives medical treatment for people having gambling issues, for example, partial hospitalization program, or some intensive ones, even some programs for family members. In the US there are a lot of similar places, but not all of them are proven to be efficient. So you may need to read reviews first.

Have fun but take responsibility!

It should be remembered that gambling addiction is a fairly serious disease. And, if you find signs of it in yourself, a relative, a friend, or a close person, you should immediately take measures to treat it. Otherwise, gambling can lead to bad consequences. The success of treatment depends primarily on how true is the patient’s desire to be cured and how the doctor will interest the patient in overcoming this disease.
Not to lead to a situation like this, we want to remind you to gamble responsibly. And only this way you will benefit from gambling and have a positive experience and happy life!

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