Responsible Gaming Measures at Casino Websites in the UK
Gambling as a habit needs to be controlled in a manner that a person knows when to play and when to stop. This is why we have created a complete guide to online gambling that will counsel punters informing them everything about the UK gambling world online. This boundary of what’s safe and what’s not needed to be identified and managed by players all by themselves.
The Online Gaming and Gambling industry has seen phenomenal growth in the last couple of years. In fact, with the pandemic situation that took over the world in 2019, more and more people were forced to entertain themselves in the confines of their homes, and Online Gaming and Casinos saw a surge in active player counts and sign-up.
Although it is a great way to keep oneself entertained to have some harmless fun, Gambling can turn into an addiction and a deteriorating lifestyle if not identified. Some people may get overly involved in Gambling as a means to keep themselves busy or to make some money, and this might become a dangerous habit over time.
Recognize Gambling Addiction
As of 2021, there were 3200+ gambling casinos and sites on the internet. The number has doubled in just the last 3 years. The number of gamblers has increased to 30% of the world population, which is equal to 1.5+ billion people.
Of this, there is a large chunk of people who are unable to control their habit of Gambling and, for some reason, fall prey to addiction over time. Gambling websites have taken strides towards helping those who are unable to stop along with other organisations on the internet.
Addiction to Gambling, or ‘Problem Gambling’ as it is commonly addressed, needs to be recognised as soon as possible. Those who are able to identify their own change in attitude or habit or those who are able to identify these changes and signs in a loved one who may be going through addiction can seek help in many different ways.
But to recognise these signs in the very beginning is more helpful than ever. In fact, it is much easier to rectify any habit or addiction issues right at the beginning before it starts to have devastating changes in one’s life.
Here are a few signs that you should look out for when it comes to Problem Gambling:
Tendency to be Secretive
Gambling should be fun and a part of entertaining activities that a person can participate in. When a person starts to gamble by hiding their gambling habits from others and may become secretive over the time and money they spend on Gambling; this may signify Gambling Addiction in a person
Making it a source of Income
Gambling is a luck-based game, and there are no sure-shot ways to make money, especially as a source of Income from this activity. People who want to win huge amounts of money and are playing for the sole purpose of earning money fall prey to addiction more often than ever.
Borrowing Money to Gamble
The number 1 thumb rule of Gambling is that a person should only gamble the amount of money that they can afford to lose – if a player starts to bet money that isn’t theirs to play or bet – this is a sign of Gambling addiction. Borrowing money from friends and relatives and not revealing to them the purpose of borrowing is for gambling activities may also signify Problem Gambling.
Showing No Interest in other activities/social life
Having no interest in other areas of life, such as in personal life or professional life and neglecting day-to-day activities such as stepping out, eating or even sleeping properly can be signs of addiction with regards to Gambling.
Poor Finances
Not being able to manage their finances and being constantly in debt, being insecure about their spending habits and hiding details of financial transactions from one’s closest people are all signs of gambling addiction in those who are known to gamble.
Online Casinos and Anti-gambling Measures
Online casinos have a responsibility towards their players and society as a whole to prevent gambling addiction in unsuspecting victims. This is why all licensed and trusted UK Online casinos must adhere to the ‘Responsible Gambling Act’, where they need to create some measures that players can enforce on themselves when they recognise signs of problem gambling. These measures can help players to restrict their gambling habits and tendencies by taking preventative measures at the primary level.
The primary level of prevention is at the website level. The website can offer restrictions on time, budget, losses and many other valuable factors with which the casino website helps players and gamers to cut themselves off. Players can set limits for themselves in an effective manner so that the website can help them control their urges to play further in instances where they should not be playing.
Setting Budget Limits
Players can also set budgets post, which the website can cut the player off by not letting them deposit any more money. This feature is available across most UK online casinos with affiliate services. The website offers players a choice to set a limit for their deposits made on the website. The system will accept no more deposits beyond the budget set by the player himself, helping them curb overspending and over-indulging.
Temporary Time-Outs
This feature is similar to Self Exclusion but in a smaller time frame. The player can set time limits for how much time they want to be able to stay online to gamble and no more than that. Based on how much time you can afford to spend playing games online, you can set a time-out for yourself to prevent overindulging and overspending on games.
Set Loss Limit
You can also decide to set a loss limit, unlike a deposit limit. With a loss limit, you can cover losses for a certain period of time, such as over a month, 6 months and even a year. Based on the losses that a player makes, the system can cut a player off beyond a certain loss level. This prevents players from making excessive losses and also helps them be aware of the gambling spend.
Promotional Offers
Promotional offers, lucrative bonuses, extra spins, and tournament and drop announcements can all be very enticing and may lure players into spending more than they can afford. Casino websites can help you stay away from Gambling by turning off promotional offers and invites specifically so that players do not overindulge when they should not be.
Responsible Gambling Initiatives in the UK
There are many organisations worldwide that help gamblers from overindulging and overspending in casinos and falling prey to a vicious debt cycle. These organisations can counsel players and help them recognise Problem gambling signs and also facilitate self cut-off measures so that they can control and manage their gambling episodes. As players, you need to make sure whether you have addiction issues or not, the casino website that you play with is aligned with necessary antigambling measures.
Below are some of the Gambling Prevention and Counselling Bodies that casinos work with that help gamers prevent gambling tendencies:
GAMSTOP
As mentioned earlier, GAMSTOP is a scheme that helps players self-exclude when they realise they might have a problem. This service is universal and can effectively cut players off from all the websites that GAMSTOP is applicable on, making it easier on the player.
BeGambleAware
This is a global body that online casinos affiliate with, which gambling addiction is counselled by experts in a private and confidential manner. Players can seek help from experts at any time and create a customised plan for themselves to cope with any addiction issues or signs of addiction that they may have. All this is done in a confidential manner.
GamCare
Another amazing group is the GamCare initiative, which offers phone assistance to players who seek help from professionals in dealing with Gambling related issues. You could easily chat online with them or use the online forum if anonymity is what you are looking for. Phone assistance is offered through a helpline number that players can call from 8 am to 12 pm, 7 days a week.
Tips to Prevent Gambling Addiction
If you are someone who may easily develop a habit or if you feel like you must set boundaries for yourself when it comes to Gambling, make sure you go through our helpful list of tips that our experts have come up with:
Licensed and Affiliated Websites
Be it a brick-and-mortar casino or an online casino; gambling addiction can happen anywhere. Make sure the casino you chose is certified by a Gaming Authority such as the Malta Gaming Authority, Isle of Man Gaming Authority, Curacao Gaming Authority etc. All UK Casinos also need to be certified by the UK Gambling Commission, a piece of information easily available in reviews of the best UK casinos. This ensures that the casino websites have Gambling Prevention measures and are affiliated with at least one of the Gambling Assistance Schemes such as GamCare, GameStop etc.
Variety of Games
Make sure you never spend more than what you can afford to lose, this is the golden principle of Gambling, and this applies to all kinds of players at all kinds of casinos, be it physical or online. Set a budget and never exceed deposits or lose more than the set budget at any point in time.
Safety and Privacy
Use the amazing schemes and offers that are provided by the casino websites so as to cover your losses and minimise your spending, such as the No Minimum deposit offer, No Deposit Bonus offer, cashback offer, free spins offer, free demos on slots and games etc. so that you can minimise your betting and cover your losses as much as you can.
Licences
Having a valid license for an online casino is a must, and at BetKingCompare, we give paramount importance to UK Gambling licenses and certificates. All the online casinos listed by us are licensed by recognised Gaming Authorities of Malta, Curacao, Isle of Man etc. They are also recognised by the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission) in most cases.
Customer Support
It is great to have backup and support when and if players face problems. Although Google Pay has its own support team that works 24×7 and assists with any payment-related issues, it is a great added feature when the website has a dedicated live support team that can help with payment or any issue that may come up when players are online.