Responsible Gambling

Here at Casinos.com we want you to have fun gambling of course. But even more importantly, we want you to stay safe. And that means gambling responsibly and avoiding problematic behaviour that can be harmful in certain circumstances.

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘responsible gambling’ bandied about a lot, and for good reason. It’s a very serious topic that deserves your full attention. 

The key is to become aware of danger signs of problem gambling, and then knowing exactly what responsible gambling is and how it helps to keep you safe.

What Is Gambling?

Before we can get onto discussing problem gambling, we first need to define what gambling is – the actions, the people involved, and its effect on both players and society in general. 

It may seem that this is an obvious question, but it’s important to understand the mechanics of gambling so that we can recognise when elements of it start to cause harm.

Gambling is any action in which you wager or bet money or other personal assets on an uncertain outcome or random event via a game whose result is governed by chance. As a gambler, you assume the risk and the possibility of losing, while hoping, of course, that you will win. 

There are three elements needed for gaming to qualify as gambling: 

1. a wager or stake
2. an element of risk or chance in conditions of randomness
3. an available prize or payout. 

As a player, you then decide how much you want to stake, how much time you play and how often, as well as which gaming strategies to use.  

History of the Gambling Industry

People’s interest in gambling can be traced back to ancient times. However, while gambling has been a popular and known pursuit for centuries, in recent decades this interest has exploded, especially with the creation of gambling technology. 

As a result, a worldwide gambling industry has developed, which includes casinos and gambling providers of all types, including operators, developers, and any facilities that offer gambling activities. The global gambling market is estimated to reach about $900 billion by 2027.

What Is Problem Gambling?

So, now we know exactly what gambling is, let’s take a closer look at how and when it becomes problematic.

Problem gambling is associated with the risk of developing a gambling addiction. This is a specific type of addiction that leads to a different kind of harm than those produced by smoking or drug addictions. 

Pathological gambling is an unwanted stage in problematic gambling where the payer’s mental health is affected, leading to both psychic and somatic (physical) effects. 

A fair question to ask is whether any gambler is at risk of developing problem gambling. The answer, unfortunately, is yes. It is the biological constitution of humans, which we all share, that is prone to addiction. When we gamble, specific hormones are released that affect our brain, which naturally wants to keep repeating rewarding situations, and as a result the mind commands us to repeat those sensations.

Fortunately, adequate education and prevention tools can reduce the risk of addiction, as we’ll see below. 

Signs of Problem Gambling

The first step towards preventing problem gambling from developing is to recognise any signs in your behaviour that are associated with this condition. The most common signs of problem gambling are: 

● feeling guilty about gambling 

● spending more time or money on gambling than you intended 

● having an urge to return to win back losses 

● arguing with family or friends after losing  

● borrowing money or selling assets to gamble 

● obtaining money to gamble through illegal means 

● missing work or ignoring other duties in order to gamble. 

If you recognise one or more of these behavioural signs, there is a chance that you may become a problem gambler. However, you don’t have to panic if this is the case, nor necessarily make an appointment to a clinician. There are authoritative expert resources on the internet telling you whether you have or are about to develop such an issue, usually by administering you a detailed questionnaire. 

What Is Responsible Gambling?

The concept of responsible gambling was developed once the negative effects of gambling in society were acknowledged.

Responsible gambling concerns both actors in the gambling industry and the players themselves. By following a responsible gambling attitude and strategy, all participants in gambling have the potential to keep gambling in a safe zone and avoid the harmful effects of gambling. 

Both behavioural and cognitive psychologists as well as gambling counsellors can help you deal with the situation if you start to notice yourself slipping into problem gambling. Other experts, such as addiction psychologists and psychiatrists, are better at dealing with the more pathological forms of problem gambling. 

Together, experts and researchers in problem gambling have also devised responsible gambling tools for players and responsible gambling policies for entities providing games of chance. 

The Gambling Industry’s Role in Responsible Gambling 

Operators, developers, affiliates, and all other entities providing games of chance should follow responsible-gambling norms. 

In some jurisdictions, such as the UK, gambling operators are required to follow strict laws and regulations designed to protect you against fraud, scams, misinformation, any unethical practices, and exposure to age risks. This is why one of your primary concerns as a player should be choosing legitimate casinos to gamble at.

This is why one of your primary concerns as a player should be choosing legitimate casinos to gamble at.

• Legitimate online casinos have licences and are monitored by government bodies. The licensing information should be clearly visible on their website; if you can’t find it, something is wrong and you should avoid that casino.  
• In some countries gambling is illegal. It is your responsibility to find out whether a country allows gambling or not. If it doesn’t, you should refrain from gambling while in that country, even at an online casino, or you risk being charged with or convicted of a felony.  
• All countries have age requirements for gambling. In the UK, Ireland, some US states, and some Canadian provinces, the minimum age to gamble is 18. In other places, you have to be at least 21 before you can gamble legally. Online casinos conduct a standard check, but it is up to you to know the gambling laws in whichever country or state you're in, and follow them. 
• Casinos also have both a legal and ethical obligation to provide clear information about their games and warning messages about the risks of gambling on their websites. In other countries, gambling laws do not always have detailed informational and awareness requirements, but it can be argued that they still have an ethical obligation to provide them.

Organisations that Help with Responsible Gambling

Gambling-help organisations provide expert materials to encourage awareness and prevention of problem gambling. If used, they can keep you on the safe path of gambling from the beginning. 

If you identify yourself as a problem gambler, these organisations can tell you what to do next to avoid complications. They also have effective tools in place that you can use – free of charge – to help avoid problem gambling. See the next section for a list of the most popular tools.

A second major step for a recognised problem gambler is to ask for professional help if needed.  Gambling-help organisations and gambling clinics, as well as other private or governmental entities dealing with problem gambling, are available to provide advice based on scientific research and studies, and therefore you can confidently rely on their expertise.  

Every country has various organisations that promote responsible gambling and tools that help you avoid problem gambling. Here are some of the most important ones.

United Kingdom

UKGC

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the national gambling regulator, requires all land based and online gambling operators to have a licence from the institution. Part of the conditions for possessing a licence is to follow strict protocols on responsible gambling, including offering help to gamers looking to pause or limit their gambling activities.

BeGambleAware

Begambleaware provides a National Gambling Helpline, live chat, and a short quiz to help you understand how gambling might be affecting you or someone you care about. The support is provided by the National Gambling Support Network.

GamCare 

GamCare is the leading provider of support for anyone affected by problem gambling in the UK. They operate the National Gambling Helpline, provide structured support for anyone who is harmed by gambling, create awareness about safer gambling and treatment, and encourage an effective approach to safer gambling within the gambling industry. They also offer a variety of counselling services and communication channels for anyone affected by problem gambling.

Gordon Moody

Gordon Moody is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to providing residential treatment and support for gambling addiction. They offer a range of services including an online assessment tool, one-to-one support via various platforms (including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger), and access to online peer support groups.

NHS

The NHS provides treatment clinics across England for those affected by problem gambling. These clinics have teams of psychiatrists and psychologists who provide treatment, recovery support, therapy for any complex health needs related to gambling, and support for family or friends affected by someone else’s gambling.

GamStop

GamStop lets you voluntarily exclude yourself from participating in online gambling activities for a specific time: six months, one year, or five years. Once the self-exclusion period begins, you won’t be able to access any online gambling platforms integrated with GamStop.

USA

National Council on Problem Gambling 

The National Council on Problem Gambling provides access to various tools for those seeking help or information about gambling problems. These include a breakdown of what help programs are available in each state, as well as a 24-hour confidential national helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) and screening tools.

International Center for Responsible Gaming 

The International Center for Responsible Gaming is a US-based organization that explores gambling disorder and responsible gambling. The institution has funded some of the most important gambling research in the United States and around the world.

American Gaming Association

The American Gaming Association has a Responsible Gaming Statutes and Regulations Guide, which is a centralized collection of the statutes and regulations addressing responsible gaming in each of the 34 states and the District of Columbia with commercial casinos, sports betting, or internet gambling. 

Gamblers Anonymous 

Gamblers Anonymous is an organization you can turn to if you feel like your gambling has gotten out of control. It is free to join and take part in, and operates by members connecting with other members to share their problems and provide support.

Canada

Responsible Gambling Council

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to problem gambling prevention. For over 35 years, they have worked to put safeguards and support in place for those who gamble.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario provides resources for responsible gambling and helps individuals avoid gambling problems and take action if things are getting out of control.

PlaySmart

OLG’s PlaySmart is a comprehensive source of information and tools to help gamblers make informed decisions and keep gambling fun.

Connex Ontario

Connex Ontario provides free and confidential health services information for people in Ontario who are experiencing problems with gambling.

Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use

Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) provides resources and services to help manage gambling habits.

Ireland

Extern Problem Gambling

Extern Problem Gambling provides 1. self-assessment tools and self-help materials such as podcasts, gambling blocking software, and worksheets; 2. a helpline service available by text, phone call, or email that offers confidential information, advice, and details on support options like therapy groups and residential treatment; 3. one-on-one counseling by phone or video call using cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy to aid people in recovery from gambling addiction, ensuring they know they are not alone.

GamblingCare

GamblingCare was established to broaden public understanding of safer gambling and to help those that do develop problems, or their friends and family members, to get the support and help that they need. They point individuals towards support services across Ireland ranging from residential programmes, in-person counselling, online counselling, and support groups to self-help tools and resources.

Gamblers Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous also provides support and counselling to those affected by compulsive gambling.

GamStop

GamStop is a self-exclusion platform from the UK that can be used by Irish players. The platform was created by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and it works with all casinos and betting sites that have this licence. However, non-UKGC-licensed casinos won’t be included in this scheme.

Helplink Mental Health

Helplink Mental Health operates a free, national gambling addiction counselling service to anyone aged 16 and over, 7 days a week, online or by phone.

Dunlewey 

Dunlewey operates a free, confidential helpline service 365 days per year from 9.00am - 11.00pm. for individuals affected by their own or a family member’s problem gambling issues².

Together-Razem

Together-Razem provides support services to Polish and Eastern European migrants in Ireland experiencing difficulties accessing mainstream gambling addiction services due to the language barrier.

New Zealand

Gambling Helpline New Zealand

Gambling Helpline New Zealand is a free and confidential information and support service available 24 hours a day. They can also help arrange for you to see a counsellor in your area. 

Safer Gambling Aotearoa

Safer Gambling Aotearoa has a mission to minimize gambling harm within communities. The organization offers guidance and support to both gamblers and those affected by gambling.

Salvation Army Oasis

The Salvation Army Oasis provides phone, email, and video chat support for those affected by gambling addiction. 

Problem Gambling Foundation

The Problem Gambling Foundation offers free, professional and confidential support for gamblers and their loved ones. They also run education and support groups and assist with self-exclusion from gambling venues.

What Responsible Gambling Tools Are Available?

As mentioned above, gambling-help organisations provide several responsible gambling tools that you can use for free if you think you might be developing a problem. These tools are scientifically proven to help you turn away from the path of problem gambling, so we encourage you to try them out.

Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion is where you voluntarily ask one or more gambling operators to prevent you from gambling with them for a pre-established period of time, usually between six months and five years. In the UK, gambling operators are forced by law to offer you the option of self-exclusion. If you self-exclude through GamStop, all licensed operators are obliged to honour your wishes,

Self-Blocking

This is a tool that allows you to block your bank account or credit card from being used for gambling transactions. 

Deposit Limits

This allows you to limit the amount of money that can be deposited within a set time frame;

Wagering Limits

This limits the amount of money that you can wager within a timeframe of your choosing. Be aware though that bonuses and other player incentives are not considered when calculating the amount wagered.

Loss Limits

This allows you to limit the amount of money that can be lost within a given timeframe. Typically you can set daily, weekly, or monthly limits.

Time Limits or Session Limits

These allow you to limit the amount of time you spend playing. For example, you could set a maximum of 10 hours per week to gamble, at the end of which the casino will stop you from playing any more.

Timeout

A timeout, often referred to as a 'take a break' period, is a short-term solution if you want to pause your gambling activities. It's designed for players who feel they might be losing control or simply need a break.

Your Role in Responsible Gambling as a Player

Unlike companies involved in the gambling industry, whose role in responsible gambling is regulated by gambling laws as we have seen, your responsibility to gamble safely is entirely down to your awareness and free will.  

It is recommended that you follow the tips, advice, and recommendations for responsible gambling as established by experts such as psychologists and psychiatrists based on solid academic research. Other gambling experts, such as mathematicians, engineers, and economists, have also contributed to these norms to different degrees. 

Responsible gambling advice for you as a player aims to prevent or minimise any risks and harms that might occur as a result of your gambling, including financial ruin, social and family issues, and mental health problems. Such harms mainly occur as a result of problematic gambling, but even non-problematic gamblers may come to face some of them, given the nature of gambling. 

When gambling harms occur, the risk of developing problem gambling and even pathological gambling increases. The role of responsible gambling is to keep you away from such harms and within the zone of safe gambling.

Expert Advice on Emotions, Habits, Resources, and Goals

• Alternate and balance gambling with other recreational activities. 

Don’t let gambling fill up all your full spare time. Otherwise, it will also fill your mind.  

• Stop playing if you’re no longer having fun. 

Only gamble for entertainment and when you experience pleasant sensations. Stop gambling if you’ve stopped having fun, regardless of whether you’re up (in profit) or down (in loss) financially.  

• Never gamble when you’re stressed or angry. 

If you gamble while feeling upset or stressed, your brain will start to connect gambling with those negative emotions. This can create a learned reflex where the brain associates gambling with feeling better. So when you feel bad in the future, your brain will tell you to gamble to improve your mood. 

• Limit your alcohol and/or drug intake while gambling. 

This combination potentiates the risk of developing a gambling addiction in severe forms.  

• Take frequent breaks when gambling.

Move around, talk to a friend on the phone, have something to eat or drink, or get some fresh air. Don’t let your brain get used to playing continuously. This also applies to gaming or computer use in general.  

• Set limits for budget and playing time. 

Don’t allow yourself to skip this self-restriction. There are tools available on serious gambling sites to help you monitor your play. The most popular ones are Playscan, GameScanner, and Mentor, which use neuroscience and AI to identify signs of problem gambling, by combining multiple indicators. Casinos using any of these tools will display this information on their websites. 

• Only gamble with money you have. Never borrow money or use money intended for house or life necessities. 

Bear in mind that once you break this rule, you will probably break it again. Keep gambling separate from other people that you know and your domestic life, just as you keep your job separate.  

• Don’t try to win back what you’ve lost. 

Accept that gambling also results in losses, not only gains. Lost money is no longer your money. Always start a new gambling session with a fresh slate and don’t look back to previous losses; otherwise, you will fuel a vicious circle.  

Tips for a Rational Approach to Gambling and Controlling Behaviour

This category of advice is concerned with fostering a rational attitude to gambling and your personal gambling behaviour. The key is being aware of, understanding, and adequately interpreting available information about gambling. 

The first requirement for such advice to be effective is to read expert information about gambling. Be aware that gambling is a complex phenomenon that carries a lot of implications for your life. By reading this page you have made the first step in this direction. 

• Be aware of the potential harms that gambling might bring into your life.

Always keep in mind that gambling can negatively impact both your finances and health, even if this has not been the case for you yet. 

•  Don’t think of gambling as an effective way to earn money. 

Gambling is based on games that run in uncertain conditions, their outcomes are unpredictable, and there is no objective strategy that guarantees monetary success in whatever game or bet you are involved in. Don’t think of gambling as a chance to cover expenses, pay bills or debts, have a regular income, or get rich. 

•  Find out exactly how the games work before you play them. 

Make sure you’re informed about their rules, payout schedules, and structural characteristics, if this information is available. If it isn't, search for it. Otherwise, it’s like buying a product without knowing its price, its expected lifecycle, and how you can benefit from it. 

• Don’t base your play on any subjective or irrational beliefs.

This includes ‘having a good/bad feeling’, lucky numbers, signs of good/bad luck, and a belief that bad luck is balanced out by good luck, among other things. 

These thoughts and instincts have nothing to do with how the games really work, since the reality is they play out in conditions of randomness and uncertain outcomes. Games of chance are developed on the basis of mathematical models that yield precise statistical indicators which reflect an average behaviour of the outcomes over the long run, and not any kind of individual or short-term prediction. 

How Understanding the Maths of Gambling Can Help Avoid Problem Gambling

The mathematical models behind the games are responsible for their inner design and provide mathematical information that both the operators and you as a player may use to your advantage.

Games are designed mathematically so that the operators enjoy a guaranteed profit in the long run, whatever the number of players or plays, and whatever the strategies players may use when playing the game. This guarantee is expressed through the statistical indicator called the ‘house edge’ (or house advantage), which must be positive for all bets for the game to be profitable for the house (the operator). 

When the game is built, the mathematical parameters within the inner design of the game are configured to match the statistical indicators that the operator wants. This guarantees the company that the game will run in their favour and the machine will behave as they desire (they will know on average how often it will return money to players, in what proportion, etc.). They can even build illusions (like false near misses) into the mathematical design of the game.

For instance, in slots, mathematical parameters are the number of symbols, the number of the reels, the distribution and weighting of the symbols on each reel, and the payout associated with each payline. 

So, how does this information benefit you, the player? Well, the parametric configuration of a game yields important mathematical information you can use, such as the probabilities associated with the various outcomes and the expected value of the possible bets. The mathematical models behind the game also provide all the mathematical facts and results related to playing that game. 

Some games allow what mathematicians call the optimal play, which is the best possible mathematical strategy to follow for maximising profits and minimising losses and/or increasing your chances of winning. Such games include blackjack, baccarat, poker, and some progressive slots. 

On the other hand, the producers and operators of slots do not provide such mathematical information for their games and no law forces them to do so. Without this information, it is impossible to compute the probabilities associated with the prizes and other statistical indicators. Some slot machines display their RTP, which is not sufficient for such computations. In other words, there is no optimal strategy for playing slots that you can follow.

Acquiring and Understanding the Gambling-Maths Information  

Knowing the mathematical information about games is not only important for the ethics of gambling. As objective information, it also counts as critical thinking. 

If you are able to interpret and understand the mathematical indicators behind your game of choice, then you should definitely seek out the information and do so.

But what can you do if you don’t have a mathematical background and you don’t have the time or inclination to learn it? Well, there are several expert resources on the internet on the topic of the mathematics of gambling written for the layman to understand.  

In addition, the following general responsible gambling recommendations can help you to play in a mathematically informed way: 

• Do not avoid mathematical information about games and gambling. It is objective and rigorous information that should be assimilated and used. 
• Use mathematical information to choose the games you play. Choose those with the lowest house edge (in terms of slots, those with the highest RTP) if you intend to play them constantly. Make your choices by also using other mathematical criteria (such as probabilities) if you intend to play them in the short or medium run. 
• Use mathematics to describe your bets (probability of winning, expected value, profit rate) and to organise them, including in terms of bankroll management. 
• Use optimal play (sometimes called advantage play in gambling jargon) in games that allow it, if you master it. However, don't expect an optimal strategy to be a winning strategy, as it does not guarantee surefire wins. 

Avoid Cognitive Distortions that Increase the Risk of Problem Gambling

If understanding the mathematics behind the games and acting rationally help you make sensible decisions when playing, then so-called ‘gambling cognitive distortions’ do the opposite. 

Gambling cognitive distortions include faulty thinking, perceptions, or interpretations, in the psychological form of misunderstandings, misconceptions, reasoning fallacies, biases, false or irrational beliefs, or illusions. 

Although their main nature is cognitive-psychological, most of these distortions are mathematically related, as they stem from an inadequate understanding or interpretation of the mathematical facts of gambling. 

The following gambling cognitive distortions are extremely common. Almost everyone suffers from at least one of them.

The Monte Carlo Fallacy

This is the mistaken belief that if something happens more frequently during a given period than its probability reflects, it will happen less frequently in the near future. 

Example: Believing that if the roulette wheel has landed on black several times in a row, it is due to land on red soon.

The Conjunction Fallacy

This is where you may overestimate the likelihood of two events happening together compared to just one of the events happening. 

Example: Betting both on a horse that’s the big favourite and on a promising average horse, and thinking that the outcome where the favourite finishes first and the average horse finishes second is more probable than if either of those events happened individually.

The Disjunction Fallacy

This involves overestimating the likelihood of any of two events happening compared to the likelihood of either event happening. 

Example: In a game of Texas Hold’em, you hold 9♦ Q♠ and the flop is 5♦ 7♦ Q♥, and you want to calculate your chances of getting either a diamond flush or triple Queens by the river. You correctly estimate your chances of getting the flush is 4.16% and the trips is 8.32%.

Based on that, you believe your chances of hitting either hand is 4.16% + 8.32% = 12.48%. However, this is incorrect, as there is a chance that both hands are achieved if the final two cards are Q♦ and another diamond. To avoid double counting this scenario, you need to subtract the probability of this happening (3.42%), so the correct probability of you hitting either of those hands is actually 4.16% + 8.32% – 3.42% = 9.06%.

Subjective Estimations of Probabilities

This is inaccurately estimating the likelihood of an event based on personal feelings rather than objective data. 

Example: Evaluating the chances for your poker hand to improve to a full house by just counting the outs and using your intuition of feeling rather than applying a mathematical formula for that probability.

The Near-Miss Effect

When losing with an outcome that was close to a win leads to greater motivation to keep trying rather than accepting a loss. 

Example: When you get two cherries and one orange on a slot machine, it motivates you to play again more than if you had got three different symbols, because you feel like three cherries are not that unlikely to occur since you almost hit them.

Illusion of Control

This is the belief that you can influence uncontrollable outcomes through skill or actions. 

Example: Believing dice outcomes are based on how skilfully you throw them rather than chance or the outcome of a slots machine depends on the moment when you press the spin button.

Misunderstanding Gambling Language

This is not fully comprehending maths-related gambling terms and assertions in a non-mathematical context and therefore misjudging risks, expectations, and probabilities. 

Example: Seeing the assertion ‘This slot has an RPT of 98%’ and incorrectly believing that if you bet £100 in a certain number of spins, the most you're likely to lose is £2, when the RTP is actually a statistical average applying to 'the long run'.

As you can see, these cognitive distortions are very complex, and correcting them usually requires the intervention of an expert counsellor. Even though they have long been recognised by experts as risk factors in problem gambling, they are common among gamblers, regardless of their experience and level of education. 

In order to identify them when they occur, you need first to read as much as possible about them from expert sources. Try to notice them during your gambling activity and think twice.

Responsible Gambling Conclusion

The most important step towards gambling responsibly is to be aware of the complexity of gambling and all its dimensions, namely social, economic, ethical, psychological, and cognitive (including mathematical) factors. 

On the one hand, gambling responsibly is about trusting the experts, following their advice, and asking them for help when needed. On the other hand, it’s about self-informing, self-effort, and perseverance.  

Staying on the path of safe responsible gambling should be a greater concern to you than winning.