Help minimize online gambling addictions - Responsibilities and Roles
There’s actually nothing wrong with online gambling per say. It’s a great way to pass some fun time and relax. However, like in everything else in life, when it’s out of proportion it becomes a bad and even dangerous habit. When it reaches such a level, people start pointing fingers. Some people blame the gambler himself, some blame platforms providers, some blame the government for not doing enough in terms of legislations and some blame the society for not referring to this issue enough. In general the whole pointing fingers approach is not my personal favorite, for the simple reason that it doesn’t solve any problem and doesn’t help reducing the negative consequences that are caused by this issue. I personally prefer to go with taking responsibility not as a ‘fault’ but as a ‘role to play’.
Responsibilities and Roles:
When you refer to a responsibility as a role someone takes upon himself it immediately turns this concept into an active and productive one. You’re not looking for people to be hanged; you simply ask that people will act in order to improve the situation. To do that you need to look into the circles of influence. ‘Circles of influence’ means different levels of individuals or groups that are influenced by or are influencing something. In this case we might consider following:
- The online gambler
- The gambler’s family
- Games providers
- The close and general community of the gambler
- Legislations bodies – government, The international internet society
You can probably think of several others, but these are the main ones that come to mind. Now that we have this mapped out it’s easier to try and understand which role each of them should be taking under their responsibility. Going from the larger scale ones to the smaller:
If we’ll look on a high level only we can say that: the legislations bodies need to make sure there are laws that make sure the addicted gambler is protected and that no one takes advantage of his condition. The community of the gambler is responsible to provide supporting groups and educational support. The games provider is responsible to provide preventive information and maybe even actively help to avoid reaching critical levels of addiction. The gambler’s family is responsible to identify the problem in time and actively try to stop it from deteriorate and of course, the gambler himself is responsible to try and avoid reaching an addictive level and if reached, try and do everything possible to snap out of it.
Let’s take this to a deeper level with one of the circles mentioned above – the Games providers. In order to demonstrate just how far, help from this circle can reach, I’ll use an example of one of the sites I’m in contact with – Winnings. which did not stop with simply placing a link to an addiction support organization from their footer, like many other online gambling sites do. They’ve decided to take an active part in helping people to avoid becoming addicted and in helping to minimize the damage if they did become addicted. To name just a few of their tools for helping players:
- They have a ‘Self Exclusion’ option that if a player activates, his account is closed for good or paused for 1/3/6 months. This cannot be undone once activated.
- They maintain a ‘Deposit limit’ policy in which a player can set himself a max limit on a daily and/or weekly basis.
- Full disclosure – in Winnings.com all of the player’s account information is available to that player all the way back to his first deposit. Any player can know exactly how much he spent and when.
As you can see, a game provider can become an active participant in helping preventing gambling to deteriorate into an addiction and all this without harming their business strategy or revenue. In this I’ll finish and say that I urge every games provider out there to learn from this and apply in your site. With small steps taken by many, much can be achieved.
Author Bio:
Karl Angus is an online gaming specialist that has been engaged in minimizing gambling addiction for the past few years. You can play safely at WSOP website.
Gambling Addiction The Stats Tells It All
• It is estimated that around 2%-3% of people in America suffer from Gambling addiction. This means that millions of people in the United States of America suffer from this unique disorder.
• Other studies indicate that even though males comprise of a major chunk of people suffering from this disease, there is an increase in the number of women developing this disease.
• According to a study, people in the US spend $5 billion annually on gambling activities.
• Families of people suffering from gambling addiction are more likely to face domestic violence as gambling addicts most commonly engage in frequent quarrel and fights with their family members over the issue of gambling.
• According to a study, the children of gambling addicts are more likely to develop mental disorders such as stress, depression and other mental disorders.
Gambling laws change from country to country, You can read more about Responsible Gambling in New Zealand..
These were some of the statistics associated with the condition of gambling addiction. Due to the increase in the use of Internet, gambling has become more common among households as more and more women as well as teenagers are engaging in some kind of gambling activity. Playing online roulette is a very great way to have a wonderful time. The online gaming networks, such as Royal Vegas Singapore Casino, are great places to learn how to play roulette. These online casinos offer roulette systems and tips and techniques on how to win.
The Impact Of Online Poker On The Culture
Online gaming facility has inspired many new players to come in and enjoy. Readily available guide, coaching schools etc has made many players try the game, who had never thought would try poker and this is the reason of poker being in culture. Internet poker is easy to access and thus experienced players can play often.
You can also find a variety of opponents, playing with different strategy. This has widened the range of competition making the game more interesting and challenging. It also reduces the waiting time and now you can enjoy a good game anytime. You can play with anyone around the world.
You can pick games online, depending on your expertise and also instead of meeting the opponent face to face, you can select one from anywhere in the world. Online poker also features a range of new tournaments and challenges where top players can participate and showcase their skill. This will boost their ability, interest and recognition.
If you are interested and wish to try the game then Web world is open for you. There are sites packed with interesting information, stories of experienced players, and guide to help you know the world of poker. So, what are you waiting for? Just browse through the cyber world, try similar sites, and know how the online version is different from the traditional one and why it’s in culture. you can also check out the Online casino blue book for safe and responsible gaming, and you can Claim sportsbook bonuses at USA Betting plus read reviews, anytime.
Underage Gambling in Australia
Some recent research found that over $18 billion is wagered by Australians every year, which is around $1500 per capita, while around 70% of Australia’s population is thought to engage in some form of betting activity every year. This rate is much higher than in other developed countries, such as New Zealand, Canada and the US, with pokies being by far the most popular form of gambling in Australia.
Of particular and growing concern is the rate of underage gambling in Australia. The most recent research has shown that there are more problem gamblers in the 15 to 17 age group than amongst adults, with a significant proportion of Australian problem gamblers aged between 18 and 30.
The rise of online gambling is considered to have contributed significantly to these figures; Australians are estimated to wager close to $1 billion online each year, with industry reports suggesting that the market is expanding by as much as 10-20% annually.
Internet gambling sites operated from Australia are prohibited from accepting Australian players, but there is no restriction on Australians accessing international sites. Some observers believe that this has led to an increase in underage gambling, claiming that sites that are unregulated in Australia are not undertaking the necessary age verification checks that prevent underage players from playing at online casinos. For more info go to trusted sites like the AussieCasinoGambling Homepage
However, the perception that the entire online gaming industry is negligent when it comes to preventing underage gambling is not a wholly accurate one. Despite being operated from outside of Australia, online casinos are nevertheless subject to regulation, both by the gaming authorities of the jurisdictions from which they operate and by independent accreditation agencies, and these certify as to the effectiveness and fairness of their operations, including their responsible gambling policies.
Therefore, it’s possible for Australian players to find online casinos that have responsible gaming policies and practices that are equal to those in place in land-based establishments. Online directory sites for instance, only list casinos that are accredited by a third-party testing agency and have responsible gambling policies in place that prevent underage players from accessing their sites.
For parents concerned about their children accessing online casino sites, it is also possible to download software that prevents this;
Overall, therefore, while there are rightly concerns about the incidence of underage gambling in Australia, there are wider societal issues that need to be addressed alongside of scrutiny of the online gaming industry. If legislators are serious about tackling this perceived problem, then the prevalence of betting in mainstream Australian culture needs to be examined closely as well.
Are you gambling responsibly? Check your habits against this list.
Moderation is Key
• Check yourself – Are you gambling for fun? Be honest with yourself when answering this question. If you are gambling for a high or it’s not an impulse you can control you need to get accountability for your reasons for gambling.
• Set and Keep to your Limits – Set and stick to limits and controls you put on yourself to keep your casino time in check.
• Budget a specific amount of money per week to gamble with. Only spend that amount. For online gambling, get a separate bank card which it limited to that amount.
• Ask someone else to help you with managing your money. Another person can provide valuable accountability with how much you spend.
• When gambling give credit cards or other bank cards to someone you trust so you don’t overspend.
• Set up auto payments for your most important expenses so the money is automatically withdrawn and doesn’t give you a false sense of what it available.
If you have tried the above list and still struggle with keeping the money you spend on blackjack within limits it might be time to consider additional help. Look at the list below and see if gambling is getting out of control for you.
Signs of Gambling Addiction
1. Spending more money than you can afford when gambling online or traditionally.
2. Losing track of time or spending more time than you should on gambling.
3. Being unable to manage, limit or stop gambling.
4. Find yourself arguing with family, friends and loved ones about money and gambling.
5. Borrowing money from friends, family, loved ones or co-workers for gambling or to cover other expenses due to gambling.
6. Constantly thinking or talking about gambling.
7. Covering up, lying about or hiding your gambling habits from others.
8. Gambling to win back what you’ve lost or to get out of financial hardship.
9. Gambling until you have NO money left.
10. Selling stuff or not paying bills so you can gamble
11. Not feeling the high or excitement that used to come with gambling and need to make to stakes higher to achieve the same feeling.
12. Neglecting all the relationships in your life because you spend so much time gambling, thinking about gambling or finding money to gamble
13. Feeling anxiety, depression, worry, guilt or irritability regarding your life and gambling.
It doesn’t matter the game, roulette, blackjack, poker online casinos or traditional casinos, responsible gambling is the best way to have fun. Find where to play safe and responsible at a handy resource to discover trustable online gambling platforms.