💚 Responsible Gambling – How to Stay in Control

Online casino play is a form of entertainment that millions of people enjoy responsibly. In this guide we walk through how to keep play fun and safe. We cover recognising your own state, the tools casinos provide, support services you can turn to and a concrete self-assessment test.

The signs of problem gambling

Problem gambling isn't always obvious straight away. Typical warning signs include:

• You play more than you originally planned
• You try to win back money you've lost (chasing losses)
• Playing affects your relationships, work or studies
• You hide your playing from those close to you or lie about how much you stake
• You borrow money to play or use money meant for food
• You play to relieve anxiety or stress
• You can't stop, even when you want to
• You think about playing constantly, even when you're not playing

If you recognise three or more of these signs in yourself, it's worth taking the situation seriously and considering getting in touch with a gambling-support adviser.

Self-assessment: a short test

Answer the following questions honestly. The questions are based on the international Lie/Bet screen, the simplest scientific self-assessment for a gambling problem.

1. Have you ever had to hide information about your gambling from your family or friends?
2. Have you ever felt the need to increase the amounts of money you gamble in order to feel the same excitement?

If you answered "yes" to either, we recommend a longer self-assessment at BeGambleAware.org or getting in touch with their helpline. One "yes" does not mean you have a gambling problem, but it is a clear signal to stop and assess the situation.

Responsible-gambling tools at casinos

All MGA-licensed casinos and those under other EU licences have a statutory obligation to offer responsible-gambling tools. At the casinos we recommend, you'll have access to:

• Loss limits – set a daily, weekly or monthly loss limit. Once the limit is reached, you can no longer deposit or stake.
• Deposit limits – automatically cap your deposits at a set amount per period. The single most effective tool.
• Stake limits – a maximum stake per spin (e.g. €1 on a slot).
• Time limits – the casino reminds you when you've played longer than the time you set.
• Reality check – a pop-up every X minutes shows the time you've played and your net result.
• Self-exclusion – close your account for 24h, 7 days, 1 month, 6 months or permanently. During the exclusion you can't log in to the casino.
• Cooling off – a shorter break without a permanent exclusion.

Recommendation: Set a deposit limit as soon as you open a new casino account – before you make your first deposit. This is considerably easier than trying to "rein in" your playing later in a moment of difficulty.

Gambling-support services – what they offer and how they work

Dedicated gambling-support services exist to help people with gambling problems and those close to them – free of charge, anonymously and with no appointment needed. BeGambleAware.org is one of the best-known, offering a confidential helpline, live chat and online resources.

Helplines are typically answered by a trained adviser with experience of gambling problems – often a peer specialist who has recovered from a gambling addiction themselves. Calls and chats are confidential, and you don't have to give your name.

Structured self-help programmes are also available online and have been shown to work: a large share of those who complete such a course report a significant improvement in keeping their play under control at follow-up. These programmes are usually free and work anonymously online.

Support networks and international self-exclusions

In many countries, gambling-support organisations work together to develop help for gambling problems. Through these networks you can find information on different forms of support and on local services wherever you live.

One of the most effective tools is a national self-exclusion scheme such as GamStop (UK) and similar systems elsewhere, which block access to hundreds of online casinos with a single registration. Where no comprehensive scheme exists, most MGA casinos honour one another's self-exclusion requests.

If you want the most effective block, also use:

• Gamban or BetBlocker – free software that blocks gambling sites on your phone and computer
• Your bank's gambling-transaction block – many banks let you block casino transactions on your card, often within the app or card settings
• Browser Site Blocker extensions

A responsible-gambling checklist

• Set a budget before you play – only use money you can afford to lose
• Never borrow money to play or play on credit
• Take breaks regularly – 30-minute sessions are wiser than sittings of several hours
• Don't play when tired, intoxicated or stressed
• Don't try to win back money you've lost – this is the most common route to a gambling problem
• Keep playing as entertainment, not a way to earn money
• Talk openly about your playing with those close to you – secrecy is a warning sign
• Use the casino's tools: set a deposit limit as soon as you open your account

Someone close to you is playing too much – what to do?

If you're worried about someone close to you who plays too much, you're not alone – gambling problems affect millions of people worldwide, and the number of those close to them is many times higher. Support services such as BeGambleAware.org also help the people around the player, via their helpline and chat.

General advice for someone close to a player:

• Don't blame, but be honest about how the playing affects you and the family
• Don't pay off a problem gambler's debts – this enables the playing to continue
• Get in touch with a support service such as BeGambleAware.org yourself – your situation needs support too
• Protect your own finances (separate accounts, credit-card protection)
• Look for peer support through online groups and local meetings

Summary

Responsible gambling is every player's own responsibility, but help is always close at hand. Support services such as BeGambleAware.org and GamblingTherapy.org offer comprehensive, free and anonymous support to both the player and those close to them. Use the casinos' responsible-gambling tools, set limits for yourself in advance, and remember that playing is entertainment – not a way to earn money.

Help is always within reach: visit BeGambleAware.org for free, confidential support.