Have you ever heard of gambling addiction before? If you haven’t, all you need to know is that it’s a condition that is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to gamble, despite the severe negative consequences attached to it.
There’s really no such thing as “responsible gambling when it comes to gambling.” With so many people using games of chance as a way to pass the time, some people develop addictions to gambling. But to be clear, gambling addictions are different from addictions to drugs or alcohol.
Unlike drugs, which depress the central nervous system and can make people act recklessly, gambling addictions only affect the brain’s reward centre. As a result, people with gambling addictions don’t show the same symptoms as people with addictions to other substances.
Examples of gambling addicts include compulsive gamblers who can’t stop playing because they feel they need to keep winning, as well as people who play every day to win larger amounts of money.
What is The Difference Between Responsible Gambling and Problem Gambling?
Responsible gambling and problem gambling are two completely different things.
- Responsible gambling is any gambling activity that conforms to the rules and regulations of the gaming establishment and is done for fun.
- Problem gambling is any gambling activity that is carried out in a harmful manner and deviates from the gaming establishment’s rules and regulations. Problem gamblers often develop a compulsion to gamble and can’t stop.
Gambling has been around for thousands of years, but gambling disorder has only emerged in recent decades. Gambling disorder (also known as pathological gambling) is diagnosed when individuals have trouble stopping their gambling behaviour. In contrast to problem gambling, responsible gambling involves wagering for fun.
What Does It Mean to Gamble Responsibly?
The ability to gamble responsibly means being accountable and responsible for your decisions and actions. The cognitive and behavioural processes involved in responsible gambling include:
- Be honest with yourself, consider your limitations
- Set a budget and stick to it
- Know the level of risk you’re willing to take
- Establish limits to how many times you can play
- Know your limits when it comes to impulse control
- Do not gamble as a means of escaping a difficult problem
- Always play for fun
- Be responsible
Most of us enjoy gambling, whether we are taking part in live casino betting or simply playing slots, especially those who are in it for fun. But gambling responsibly means knowing when to stop, which can be tough when the stakes are high. Staying aware and managing expectations can help you avoid gambling more than you can afford to and can lead to a happier life all around.
How Has Responsible Gambling Changed During the Pandemic, if at all?
COVID-19 has posed new challenges to gambling operations. The virus has not only caused hospitalizations but has also slowed or even stopped the continual flow of foot traffic to casinos. This has forced some operators to reconfigure their floor plans, closing off some tables and adding others to accommodate fewer guests, while ensuring they continue to comply with health and safety regulations. Others have gone online, making it easier for gamblers to play from the safety of their homes. Online gambling was already on the rise, but now it has truly exploded, with entire websites like lepetitjournal.com and others dedicated to curating a list of good casinos in their country. Even after the pandemic has died down, online casinos are likely to stay permanently.
Several notable effects on gambling emerged during the pandemic. Firstly, with physical casinos shutting down or operating at reduced capacity due to health concerns and government restrictions, many gamblers shifted to online platforms, leading to an uptick in online gambling activity. Moreover, the pandemic resulted in increased free time for individuals due to lockdowns and restrictions. Some of these individuals turned to online gambling as a form of entertainment or to fill their time, given the limited options for leisure activities.
The economic uncertainties brought about by the pandemic caused financial stress for many individuals. Consequently, some people resorted to online gambling in an attempt to recover losses or generate additional income. Online gambling operators seized the opportunity presented by the pandemic and increased their marketing efforts, offering bonuses and promotions to attract new players who found themselves with extra leisure time.
Finally, remote work arrangements and the boredom experienced during lockdowns contributed to a rise in online gambling, as individuals sought entertainment and distraction through these platforms.
The surge in online gambling’s popularity can be attributed to several advantages. These include the convenience of gambling from one’s home or mobile device, a diverse range of gaming options to cater to different preferences, attractive promotions and bonuses offered by online casinos to attract players, and the privacy and anonymity provided, which may not be as accessible in physical casinos. Online casinos like Casimpo (and other similar sites) tend to offer up to 2000 online slots and casino games, including live dealer casino games. This range of options makes online gambling an attractive choice to pass time.
Gambling can be a fun activity, and while many shy away from gambling due to the risk of developing an addiction, a hidden addiction may just lurk beneath the surface. Responsible gambling means that a person plays games of chance responsibly, and that’s not always easy to do.
But as COVID-19 has hit us hard, some states have taken it upon themselves to redefine responsible gambling. A simple Google search can help you to learn more about what your state is doing to help make this change. Online casinos have also tried a number of different strategies to invite customers in to play. Offers such as zoome.casino bonus codes and free slot spins are used to get players to try out different games that the website offers. In order to play responsibly and save money, you could take full benefit of these offers and satisfy your curiosity for a lot of different games.
Are There Individuals Who Might be More at Risk of Problem Gambling Behaviours?
Problem gambling affects people from all walks of life, regardless of gender, age, race, or income level. A study published in 2014, and one just published in 2016, examined the prevalence of problem gambling among college students. It concluded that as many as 5.3 percent of college students had engaged in problem gambling behaviours in their lifetime (though only 1.5 percent met the criteria for problem gambling).
If you or someone you know has an addiction to gambling, it is important that you seek help immediately. Gambling has its limits, and if you know what they are, you are guaranteed a happy and fun experience. So, proceed carefully.