Responsible Gambling In Canada

Gambling has been with us for centuries and it is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. Some of you may believe that it is all about making money but it isn’t. Gambling is actually about having fun and getting the adrenaline rush. Yes, you can win and some people will win big time. But, this is not something that will always happen to all gamblers. It is something that might happen to some gamblers.
All of this means that you should consider gambling as a fun and appealing form of entertainment but also be careful. You need to play responsibly in order to avoid any issues. These problems can be severe and they can have a huge, negative effect on your mental and physical condition. Here, we will talk about responsible gambling which should teach you how to gamble properly, recognize potential issues and deal with them as soon as possible. You may know that all casinos we cooperate with share and promote responsible gambling. It is extremely important and we hope here you will find out why it is mandatory and why it can help you more than anything else.

What is Responsible Gaming

Many people believe that responsible gambling is for gamblers only. It is not. This is a massive term that covers gamblers and also casinos. We will explain the whole basics below. In general, responsible gambling is a set of rules gamblers should use in order to avoid and prevent gambling addiction. They will stay safe and they will be able to gamble much longer and enjoy this hobby. Responsible gambling for gamblers means:

  • You will have control over how long you play and how much you spend;
  • You will play with the money you can afford to lose;
  • A player will not chase his losses;
  • Gamblers will understand that casinos have the house edge;
  • They will understand the odds and chances of the game;
  • You will know all the possibilities and you will accept them;
  • Gambling is not about making money but about having fun and enjoying.

When it comes to operators or casinos, they have certain things to perform as well. For instance, they must and should promote responsible gambling. You can see the page with this name at most casinos these days. Casinos also must or should provide self-exclusion or be able to block the account if needed. They must check that player is 18 years or above and only then they can accept the account. Canadians are amazing gamblers and they love this hobby. They enjoy lottery, bingo, slots, table games, live dealer games, and sports betting. The law is also helpful in this case scenario and it states that responsible gambling is mandatory to know about and it should be available to all gamblers.

How to Recognize the Problem

If you have a gambling problem you will quickly notice that something is wrong. You won’t get the feeling of satisfaction as you play or when you win. You will just want to play no matter what. Most gamblers also lie about their gambling habits and they are looking for new and interesting ways to bet more, invest more and try a new thing. They will bet on anything and they won’t care if they win or lose. These are some of the first things that may happen to you if you don’t follow responsible gambling rules.
It is also possible that you avoid other people, lose interest in activities you once like and you become anti-social in lack of a better word. All of this means that you are becoming an addict as you can imagine, only one thing will become interesting to you and all the rest will fade out. Below you can see the two most common signs and usually the first one that will present themselves.

You lose too much Money or Gambling Consumes your Mind

In most cases a player who is developing a gambling addiction will gamble all the time. He or she will lose a lot of money on this activity and he or won’t care. He will only want to place the next bet and believe that he can recover everything that he lost. Most gamblers will also think of excuses why they can or should gamble and they will borrow money. The latter here can be the biggest issue for some people or families and can cause financial instability. We can see that gambling will consume the mind of a gambler. He will think about this activity only and be unable and unwilling to do anything else except gambling. Gambling addicts have a hard time staying in relationship, in marriage, or keeping a steady job. After all, they want to play and that’s it. All of what we have said here means that gambling addiction is severe and can make your life impossible.

You Feel Bad or Sleep Bad

Due to all the things we have covered and a lot more that may happen, gambling addict will have a hard time sleeping. They will feel bad at the same time which makes things even worse. An addict feels bad because he knows something is wrong but he can’t do anything about it, or at least he thinks that. They want to put an end to this and they want to change but at this stage, it looks impossible and extremely difficult. The bottom line is that gambling addicts feel guilt and they cannot feel fine. They will have problems eating, functioning normally, and sleeping. As you can see, if this lasts a long time and usually it does, a person can develop health conditions! This is one of the reasons why we have stated that gambling addiction can cause mental and physical problems. Depression and anxiety are just some of the problems here. Sadly, some people experience much worse issues and they need constant or at least long-lasting, professional help in order to solve the problems.

How Can I Stay in Control?

It is possible and it is actually much easier than you may believe to stay in control. The first thing you need to do is to control the time. This simply means that you should set the time frame you can use for gambling online. It can be 10 minutes per day or 1 hour per week. It is up to you. The goal is to limit your exposure and the time you spend on playing games. If you play games less and less frequently, you will be protected and you won’t develop a gambling addiction. You can make changes as well if you notice that something is wrong. Yes, you can make the time frame for gambling shorter.
The next thing you should do is limit the amount of money you have you can use on gambling online. This should be the amount of money you can afford to lose. For some players this amount can be very high. For others, it will be very low. It is irrelevant. A more important thing here is to use the money you can live without and you can afford to lose while gambling. As you can see, this will limit your gambling session as well and it will prevent debt, financial instability and so much more.

Set Budget, Time Limits, and Priorities

Here you will need to set the time, money you can use and also think about your priorities. The best thing to do is to set the time and money limits as soon as you start gambling. Start with a few hours per week and the amount of money you don’t need. If you have a need, you can always make these two smaller and decrease the time spend on gambling. Always think about your priorities. If you want to buy a new car for your family, gambling is no way to go. It is much better to save the money you would lose on gambling and get the car. Priorities have a huge role in all of this and they can make a clear difference!

Responsible Gambling Tips

There are countless tips for gamblers and the best part is the fact all of them are helpful and all of them work. Here we will discuss and reveal the most essential ones. The first thing you need to know is how gambling online works. You need to know about the odds, house edge, bets, wagering requirements and so much more. If you don’t know these things, you can easily lose faster than normal. You can also make mistakes that will cost you later on. In general, knowing what you are doing and doing it properly is effective and mandatory. We know that responsible gambling is something we can easily forget when playing great casino games. But it is something you need to keep on your mind all the time and before you place the next bet. This is a huge deal and once you have the specifics, you can adopt them and enjoy more!
Set the time and money you can use on gambling. Don’t play games when you are under influence of alcohol or drugs. Play game sonly when you are happy and satisfied. Equally important don’t consider this activity as a money-making option. It is fun activity or a hobby and not a job! These are basically the most essential things you should know about before you even start gambling. Yes, these are all parts of responsible gambling.

Think About Casino as Fun and Entertainment, not a way of Making Money

The main thing here is to consider online gambling as a hobby or form of entertainment. You will gamble when you have the time and when you have money to use on gambling. It should be almost irrelevant will you win or lose. You already have a job and you should use it to generate income, not online gambling.
You may have heard about people who won big time and who changed their life with the help of online gambling. You can be one of them if you gamble responsibly. If you don’t, odds are higher that you will lose and not win. All professional gamblers will tell you that gambling responsibly is mandatory and it consists of the same elements they use when playing games. Now you can deduce why this is so important and how it can help you.

Bet Money Which You Don’t Afraid to Lose

Online gambling is a hobby and as with every other hobby out there it will cost you. If you like riding motorcycles (it is your hobby) you know that you have to pay for all kinds of things. In general, you need to invest and use the money you can afford for a hobby. Gambling is the same. You must play games with the money you can afford to lose. This doesn’t mean you will lose it but it means you won’t care if you do. Using the tip is mandatory simply because you won’t end up in debt. You won’t jeopardize your financial stability and all that leads to one thing. You can gamble much longer. If you develop a gambling addiction you won’t gamble very long. But if you gamble responsibly and use this tip you will. Of all the tips and helpful details we can give to you, this one is the most important and has a huge role in all of this.

Play Sober & Stop Playing After Third Lose

The tip we have here is important and can make a massive difference. Land-based casinos offer drinks and beverages so you would feel relaxed and you would gamble longer. When gambling from the house, you can drink as much as you like and forget about the time. The bottom line here is simple. You should play games sober only. If you do, you will be able to use responsible gambling tips and methods. You will control your emotions as well.
If you are drunk or under the influence of narcotics you can easily lose the relationship with reality. You will want to place amazing and high bets and you will lose more. In other terms, you won’t be able to gamble responsibly if you drink. This makes gambling more dangerous and can increase all the problem we are trying to prevent right here.

How Can I Seek Help?

The best part about this is that you can get help. There are Canadian and also international organizations that will help you. Most of the casinos these days (almost all of them in fact) will share responsible gambling in the footer of the page. They will list helpful organizations as well which is something you can use to get help as soon as possible. The type of help will depend on your gambling addiction, severity, issues and so much more. But, the main thing is that you can get free help that actually works and that will help you in no time.
It is a wise idea to talk to your family and friends. Sometimes is helps when a person listens to you and when they want to help you. Your family for instance can help you and direct you towards the organization where you will get actual help. They can help you financially and they can support you morally.

Canadian Organizations which can Help

Here we have good news. In Canada, gambling addicts can get help in countless ways. Below we will explore a few options that are available right now and that work well. These are different organizations that help people with gambling addiction. You can use one or all of them if you prefer. But, most gamblers prefer using just one.

  1. Gambling Therapy has been one of the most popular and best-known organizations of this kind. They are available all over the world and they will help Canadian players with gambling addiction. The organizations will share advice and also support you morally so you can get better.
  2. GamTalk is an interesting option. Here you can connect with people who have been gambling addicts. Believe it or not, this works well and can help you more than you can imagine in no time.
  3. ConnexOntario is available to gamblers who live in Ontario. They can make appointments to specific providers and they can provide counseling. The platform is available in 170 different languages and is available 24/7.
  4. Gambling Help is available across the country. But, you will have to call a specific one that is responsible for the area where you live. For instance, we have Alberta Problem Gambling Resources Network (1-866-461-1259), Nova Scotia Problem Gambling Help Line (1-888-347-8888) and etc.
  5. Gamblers Anonymous is a free and group-based form of help you can use. It is available for all people and it will provide you with details related to how you can recover completely.

FAQ

1️⃣ Do I have to play every day to be considered a problem player?
No, you don’t have to gamble every single day. You can play these games a couple of times per week and still be a gambling addict. It is more important how and why you gamble than when.
2️⃣ Will I be considered a problem gambler if I have money to lose?
No, you can be considered a gambling addict if you have very little or no money to afford gambling. A problem gambler means that when he or she gets the money, odds are high he or will use it on gambling instead of something else.
3️⃣ If I have a gambling problem, does that mean I am weak-willed or unintelligent?
If you have a gambling problem it means that you don’t use responsible gambling tips and guides. It doesn’t mean you are weak-willing or unintelligent. Most gamblers with an addiction have an IQ above average.
4️⃣ My son has a gambling problem and is in debt. Is it right to bail him out?
It is right to bail him out but also starts with the treatment. If you just bail him out, he can continue gambling and repeat the issue. If he gets the treatment and help, the odds for that are much lower.
5️⃣ How can I gamble responsibly?
You will have to gamble for a pre-set period of time and play with the money you can afford to lose. Know and understand all about the rules, gambling and treat this as a hobby so play only when you want and do not chase your losses.
6️⃣ What are the signs of a problem gambler?
You will notice anxiety, and extreme urge to gamble all the time and you will want to gamble despite the fact you win or lose. You also won’t get any satisfaction when you win which is one of the worst things here.
7️⃣ What steps can I take if I suddenly realize that I am spending too much time gambling online?
If you are worried, it is better to call professional help or use some of the links shared at the site where you are gambling. Professional help can help you diagnose the issue and guide you through recovery.
8️⃣ Does gambling reduce stress?
Responsible gambling does decrease stress. You will do something you like and you can hope to win which are great things to fight off stress. But, being in debt and losing too much money or being unable to make money will cause more stress than usual. Unresponsible gambling can cause more stress.
9️⃣ Who is at risk from gambling addiction?
All players of all ages and genders are at risk. If you are a gambler you are at risk of developing gambling addiction and there is no way around it. You can gamble responsibly if you want to prevent the risk.
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Katelyn Tyrell
Editor-in-chief