Understanding Responsible Gaming

Further details on responsible gambling can be found at www.begambleaware.org

Understanding Responsible Gaming

Gambling is a leisure activity enjoyed responsibly by many, bringing excitement and pleasure. However, for a small group, it can develop into a harmful addiction.

Play Responsibly

The entertainment can make a positive contribution to the quality and enjoyment of life for all of us.

In a world where we are all subject to the many different kinds of financial, social, work, health and other pressures, it is important to have a space away from all these pressures and to take a time to enjoy. Naturally, any form of entertainment has the potential to reach destructive levels or generate undesirable impacts.

What is compulsive gambling?

Pathological gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, is an illness that causes the gamblers to experience irresistible urges to gamble. Compulsive gamblers uses all their possible winnings to gamble more in the hopes of winning even more. That way, an activity that should be entertaining becomes frustrating; for a compulsive gambler, the game is over only when all the money runs out.

In spite of the frustration and financial losses, pathological gamblers continue to believe that they can moderate or control their gambling activities at will, at any time, regrettably most compulsive gamblers cannot do either of these things without professional help.

Some tips to help you control your gambling:

1. Only gamble with money set aside for entertainment, never with money for everyday expenses,
2. Decide on a loss limit ahead of time and stick to it,
3. Set a time limit,
4. Balance gambling with other activities,
5. Take frequent breaks,
6. Low-risk gambling is a way of playing with very little chance of losing control,
7. Never borrow money to gamble,
8. Don't gamble when highly stressed, depressed, intoxicated or troubled in some other way.

Do I have a gambling problem?

Here is a list of statements taken from the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", which is a handbook to determine and help communicate a patient’s diagnosis after an evaluation. If you feel you have a gambling problem, please ask yourself the following questions, the more you answer "yes" the more likely it is you have a gambling problem. If you are an individual who is worried about a friend, a colleague or family member, or perhaps yourself, we recommend that you look to professionals for help.

• You are preoccupied with gambling.
• You need to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement.
• You’ve repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.
• You’re restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling.
• You gamble as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood.
• You often return another day after losing money gambling, to get even (“chasing” one’s losses).
• You lie to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.
• You’ve committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling.
• You’ve jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling.
• You rely on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling.

To help you access to the support you need, here is a directory of resources* that are available to provide free and confidential advice about any concerns you may have:

• www.begambleaware.org
• www.gamblersanonymous.org
• www.gam-anon.org
• www.gamcare.org.uk
• www.smartrecovery.org
• www.gamblingtherapy.org
• www.ncpgambling.org

* The content of these external websites are for informational purposes only and not should be considered or used as a substitute for professional, medical or mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Are you worried about your children?

Are you worried about your children having access to gambling sites? If you as an adult share your computer with under-aged individuals, always make sure that access to usernames, banking details and passwords is prevented. There is also software you can use for this purpose. Two examples are: Cyber Patrol and NetNanny.