Gambling is something that can be thrilling and exciting when it’s done responsibly and legally. There is no harm in playing online slots or placing a bet, but it’s easy to push yourself over the limit. In the heat of the moment you can get caught up and put in an extra deposit that you perhaps shouldn’t have. Ultimately, this could lead to spending more than you can afford to lose.
It can happen to literally anyone and there’s no shame in doing so, but it’s crucial to know how to stop it from ruining your life. Of course regulators across Europe have set plenty of rules in motion to ensure responsible gambling. Just recently, the UK Gambling Commision announced new slot restrictions to safeguard online slot players from potential gambling harm. The main change highlighted the slowing down of spins to 2.5 seconds in order to minimise excessive play.
Despite these regulations, people can fall through the cracks – especially with online gambling. Some people are pushed further into unregulated casinos that have no protective measures to safeguard their money or carry out basic affordability checks. Here are a few things to help you gamble safely and responsibly to prevent your gambling from getting out of control.
Use Online Casino Help
Thankfully, most licenced online casinos have measures set in place to help you track your spending habits. They often have features that can set a Deposit Limit to control the amount you deposit into your account.
Big names such as Paddy Power, Sky Casino and BetWay have their own dedicated sites and online tools to help you. Whether that is setting a Loss Limit to ensure that you keep within your budget or setting up the Reality Check feature to give you timed reminders during your play – most online casinos are dedicated to helping you play safely and responsibly.
As a last resort, you should consider manually using casino blocking services such as GAMSTOP, Gamblock and Gamban. If you find yourself struggling to gamble responsibly, then these can offer much-needed assistance. These services can come at a cost but ban all online casinos meaning that you cannot access any licenced casino online.
Set A Budget
Almost all legal, online casinos will have mechanics to help you set your limits. These tools are incredibly useful and valuable – but sometimes you need a little extra help. This is a lot easier said than done but keeping track of your gambling habits means you can see where you are at with your budget.
It can be hard to just mentally keep track – so create a Google sheet to keep track of your deposits, or download a money managing app such as Mint. This can show you how excessive your spending has been and show if your habits need to change for the better.
Take Time Away
Stepping away from a winning situation can be incredibly tough, but sometimes necessary. There may be a rush of adrenaline to fight against but that’s better than losing it all. If you feel yourself gambling online constantly, then perhaps you need to re-evaluate. Just like planning your finances, you need to set time limits for yourself.
All UK casinos offer safer gambling tools to help keep your gambling under control. The most powerful one is the Self Exclusion tool that allows you to exclude yourself from any licenced online casino between 6 months to 5 years. All UK operators will be signed up to GAMSTOP through the Self-Exclusion tool. Other services include a Cooling Off Period which is offered by operators to block you for up to a week to allow you to unwind offline, and the Take A Break service pauses your account for a month.
If you want to go the extra mile then try time management apps like Remember the Milk. It’s great for planning out your time and seeing how much time you actually spend gambling. It can seriously be sobering but a much-needed wakeup call.
Talk It Out
It’s easy to internalise your feelings, but it’ll be better in the long run to talk to someone if you feel that you aren’t gambling responsibly. Whilst this may be embarrassing to begin with, it’s better than running yourself into an addiction. Talk to your friends and family to explain to them your situation to see if they can provide any assistance.
Of course going to close friends and family can be damaging to your self esteem, but there are alternatives to this. There are so many options available to help you for free and it can be anonymous. GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous and Gordon Moody provide services to assist you. They have call lines, online chats and group sessions that can help with whatever you need to stop you from gambling irresponsibly.
Closing Thoughts
Gambling is a fun and enjoyable activity that can bring people together with some mighty wins – but only when done responsibly. It’s so easy to get caught up in the thrill of an online slot that you can easily miss that you’ve spent too much time and money on it.
Just like any bad habit, it can be tough to kick. Of course you can try to play demo versions of games to stimulate the act, but it doesn’t fully stop the bad habits. Gambling is designed to be enjoyable with some risks thrown in. Positive change starts by planning and becoming aware of how to gamble safely and responsibly.
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Since the 1930s and onwards, Las Vegas and the United States have reigned over the gambling world. Over the last decade or so, the United Kingdom has upped its game, with dozens of land-based casinos in London alone that offer electronic games and table games. The European country also has several online casinos that offer attractive bonuses and deals to punters. But one country that deserves the same amount of recognition as the United States and the United Kingdom is Finland, a country more known for being the home to the happiest people in the world.
Like the United States, Finland has long ties to the gambling industry, despite only having a handful of land-based casinos. The majority of Finns gamble online, and these platforms have attracted the attention of not Finnish natives but international gamblers. And yet, while Finland’s gambling sector is unique, like how the profits made get reinvested back in the community, there are things to consider before choosing a Finnish casino. These are the same things you would explore in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The most obvious thing to consider is safety. Since Finland’s gambling commission regulates most of its online casinos, punters should feel confident that most online casinos in the country are safe. That said, there is no harm in taking the extra step in running online casinos through a filter based on their gambling requirements. Top safety services and software should be at the top of this filter, with online casinos that offer perks to new and regular players second.
Finding a safe online casino in Finland is a great start. But you have to delve deeper and discover if this casino offers bonuses (casino tarjoaa bonuksia in Finnish), such as no deposit bonuses and free spins. Capitalizing on these bonuses is a crucial part of online casinos, as punters can use them to try out games with little to no risk while aiming for real winning pots. There are many ways to find out if your safe online casino offers bonuses, including using a game service that groups together the best bonuses. That way, all you have to do is redeem them and then start playing the top casino games.
Last but not least, when navigating online casinos in Finland, punters should consider if these platforms offer mobile versions for smartphones. Most do since mobile casinos come with mobile wallets, which make it faster and easier for punters to make deposits and payouts.
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Finland has a lot to offer, including various hot spots for tourists, but its gambling industry is also developing a reputation. And while online casinos in Finland are similar to those worldwide, meaning the criteria punters look for in Finland should be the same as the UK, that doesn’t mean punters should jump to any conclusions. Before playing real money games, punters should always look for safe casinos that have mobile versions and offer new and regular players attractive bonuses, like free spins.
The ongoing Covid pandemic is causing regular casino goers to miss their gambling fun. However, there’s an option for players to get the thrill of the games by playing them at home.
Online gaming has been around for a long time, and the current market size is about US$59 billion. Reports estimate the value of internet gambling to exceed $92 billion by 2023.
With so many virtual casinos, it can be overwhelming to research every one of them. What’s more, new sites are continually entering the scene.
You can minimize your due diligence by checking out review sites and shortlist the gaming houses with the highest ratings. Most reputable reviewers post reliable information. For instance, the NewCasinos.com website states that it only lists new casinos after testing and ensuring that they’re safe and trusted.
While these comparison portals do most of your work, it’s best that you also consider the following guidelines when choosing where you want to play.
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Ensure That You Don’t Break Any Law
Be aware that online gambling isn’t legal everywhere. If you’re in the US, some states allow it, and some prohibit such activities.
Make sure you don’t get on the wrong side of the law, especially if you’re only playing for fun.
Beware of Scam Sites
Online scams abound. To avoid falling prey to unscrupulous parties, pay attention to these tips:
Don’t Choose Hastily
You shouldn’t do a Google search and join the first online casino you see. As we mentioned earlier, you can research each provider yourself or let reviewers do the work for you.
It’s wise to leave it to the experts who know more about the business than you do.
Select Licensed Casinos
To safeguard your money, ensure that the casino has a license to operate. It’s also critical to find out if the permit is from a reputable i-gaming jurisdiction. Some countries have poor or no control over the gaming sites they authorize.
Stay away from gambling websites registered in those locales.
Study the Terms and Conditions
If you have the habit of scrolling right to the end of the Terms and Conditions page and clicking the “Agree” button, don’t do it with online gambling websites.
Many virtual casinos have specific criteria in the fine print, and you want to be aware if they’re legal or mere trickery before you sign the electronic document. It’s in your best interests to avoid internet gaming portals that have questionable rules.
You don’t want to lose your winnings because of any technicality. You can’t plead ignorance if you’ve acknowledged the terms and conditions.
Available Games
This criterion is a no-brainer because you’ll want to be able to play all the games you enjoy on one casino instead of signing up on several sites. Many casinos only offer slots, so if you also want to play poker and blackjack, it’s best to choose a portal that offers those options.
Compare Bonuses
When you look at an online casino website, you’ll notice signup or welcome bonuses. The type and amount may vary, but they essentially mean that you’ll earn the value offered when you join.
For instance, if the promotion is 100% of your initial deposit, and you put up $500, you’ll get $1,000 worth of chips. Then, there are bonuses given when you play, which offer you more chances to win.
Although the incentives are enticing, know that it’s not straightforward. There may be restrictions, so check them out before you jump at the best-looking offer.
Final Word
Once you’ve found the casino that meets your criteria, play with caution. You must remember that in gambling, the odds always favor the house. Don’t risk more than you can afford. Besides that, have fun!
I’m sure everything has heard the Bruce Springsteen track ‘Born in the USA’ that have become something of a patriotic soundtrack stateside over recent decades. Interestingly the song is actually more of a critique of the nation, but when people are bellowing it out in stadiums nobody seems to pay much thought to that. Of course everything is up for interpretation though and nations have good and bad in their approach to most things.
Gambling is certainly one area this applies to stateside. I’ve always found it curious that in country where life is viewed through a prism of ‘freedom’, that there are or rather have been so many different rules relating to restricting online casinos and the like. Ever since George W Bush crowbarred internet gambling laws which make depositing funds for gambling difficult into ‘SAFE Port Act’ legislation, a long struggle was ahead.
Thankfully though its a changing world. With the growing popularity of ‘fantasy sports’ and the like, the light has now once again been shone on the stateside limitations on online sports betting, casinos and so on. As such the tide is gradually starting to turn and USGamblers are finally seeing laws pass across states allowing for online casino and sports betting to once again occur. Legal online gambling can now take place across numerous states, such as Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virgina and Delaware. No doubt more are to come.
Poker, slots, live casino and sports fan alike will no doubt be elated to finally be able to access the same kind of online casino options that others have been enjoying for a good few years. It will bring parity across nations and allow American citizens to have moments of care free and convenient casino play from the comfort of their own home!
