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Ajith Kumar
Responsible Gambling
Updated: 23.04.2024

Responsible Gambling Guide: How to Beat Gambling Addiction

While gambling is undoubtedly an entertaining past-time, spending a lot of time and money on it can push you towards gambling addicton. However, this addiction isn’t any old and serious like alcohol and drug addiction but has still raise arams and bells in India. Due to cheaper internet rates and lockdowns, online casinos has become more of a luxury now for gamblers who’ve developed an irrestible urge for gambling.

Because of outdated laws, lack of awareness and implementation barriers, the population of gambling addicts is nowhere taking to halt.

However, gambling can also take a toll on your mental and physical health, making it hard to recover. From young individuals to retirees, gambling addiction can be developed in anyone as a serious progressive illness.

What is Gambling Addiction?

To put simply, Gambling addiction is the undeniable urge to gamble or play with money despite realizing its consequences. With time, gambling problems can get extremely compulsive as the person loses his control on thoughts and actions.

However, most gambling addicts identify and realize this gambling problem by the time they’ve lost all their fortune, hard-earned money, and other possessions. Therefore, it’s imperative to monitor one’s repeated behaviour of and stop in the first place to avoid future consequences.

Gambling Addiction Symptoms

As it was said earlier, gambling addiction doesn’t happen overnight, but it comes into notice after the person can’t seem to resist gambling. This severe disorder is usually found in emotionally weak people who seek playing in casinos to relieve their stress, anxiety and loneliness. Also, the majority of the addicts get into this illusion because of the get-rich-quick fantasy, resulting in severe financial bankruptcy.

Some of the most common gambling addiction symptoms include:

  1. Regularly visiting the casino or playing on apps.
  2. Acquiring large sums of money to bet.
  3. Getting furious because of not getting success.
  4. Feeling restless when stop from gambling.
  5. Betting more to recover previous losses.
  6. Playing more frequently with higher bets to get satisfaction.
  7. Visiting casinos when distressed, depressed, or feeling upset.
  8. Negative change in behaviour and disturbed relationships.
  9. Stealing money and selling luxuries to get money to make casino bets.
  10. Avoiding relationships, commitments and other priorities due to gambling.

WHAT RESPONSIBLE GAMING IS?

Casinos are a billion-dollar industry today. With a market share of more than 265 billion US dollars in 2019, casinos have attracted a large population of gamblers from all over the world.

This rapid increase in the number of gamblers has made responsible gambling a necessary practice in most online casinos. Playing responsibly not only limits the chances of gambling addiction but also creates a safe and secure environment in the casino.

Responsible gambling is a compilation of common practices adopted by most casinos to ensure no players become the victim of gambling addiction.

However, responsible gambling is itself a broad category comprising several practices to ensure gambling addiction is at the bay.

How To Gamble Responsibly?

Gambling responsibly plays a significant role in the prevention of gambling addiction and helps to avoid the most common triggers. Anyone can adopt these responsible gambling practices and have a fun time in casinos.

Both players and casinos play their role in promoting responsible gambling and being on the safe side for gambling addiction.

  1. Limit your time and money invested in games;
  2. Think of it as an entertainment and lucrative way to make money;
  3. Think of losing money as a cost of your entertainment;
  4. Set a betting limit and timer;
  5. Try to play with a relaxed mind along with your loved ones;
  6. Quit the game after losing the bet
  7. Accept the odds and probabilities

How To Spot a Responsible Online Casino in India?

As more and more gamblers are switching from brick-and-mortar casinos to online casinos, it has become vital to choose an online casino. Although there is a pool of options when it comes to online casinos, not all are legitimate sites to offer you responsible gambling.

Choose A Casino that:

  1. Complies with Indian gambling laws
  2. Have games with less risk associated
  3. Casino with validating documentation
  4. Good reviews from other players
  5. Good reputation on different review platforms
  6. Reviewed licenses from big iGaming bodies
  7. A safe and secure environment

How To Take Over The Disease?

According to a study by recovery villages, more than 10 million people in the United States are struggling to recover from gambling addiction. Whether you’re an addict yourself or helping someone recover, the list of steps will help you take over this disease.

  1. Accept the Problem. First things first. Realize your increasing interest and involvement in process. Once you accept the gambling problem, it gets easy to identify the gambling adiction symptoms and how you can recover from it. After finding the root cause, try to reduce the time and money you spend in casinos every day.
  2. Find a New Distraction. Finding new distractions that can divert your attention from gaming can help you control this mentally disturbing disease as early as possible. When you find a new commitment or hobby, you’ll ultimately spend less time and money online. Do what makes you happy and it will give you a similar level of pleasure.
  3. Kill the Urge To Gamble. In order to avoid gambling addiction, it’s vital for you to think of visiting casinos only as a source of entertainment, not more than that. Once you change this mindset, gambling will no longer look tempting to you. As a best practice, avoid visiting casinos or talking to people that attract you to it.
  4. Seek Help From Support Groups. There are hundreds and thousands of addicts who can’t seem to help themselves get rid of gambling addiction. That’s where you need to seek help from support groups that provide counselling to prevent horrible gambling problems. Gambler anonymous is one such helpful support group dedicated to helping gambling addicts recover and move on with life.
  5. Consider Yourself Guilty. Accepting gambling addiction as a severe issue with dire consequences can actually help you in your recovery. If you feel inferior in gatherings of non-gamblers, the feeling of shame and guilt will eventually motivate you to quit playing. If this still doesn’t help, seek help from experienced counsellors and therapists who can help you recover from gambling addiction. Using effective ways will push you towards a healthy lifestyle without obsessions.

Anti-gambling software

Gambling addiction is a serious issue, and controlling it as early as possible is the only good way to break off this bad habit. If you’re trying to recover from a gambling addiction but fail miserably, this anti-gambling software is ready to help you.

Installing this software on your PC will limit your use of gambling websites and block them on your browser. Not only will this gradually decrease your interest in gambling at the comfort of your home, but it will also motivate you to commit time anywhere else. Below is a quick breakdown of some of the most effective gambling software.

Gamban

Best for Windows PCs, this anti-gambling software smartly blocks all online websites and apps that give you exposure to play. All you need to do is register at this platform, enter your details and go through the guides that highlight the need for quitting.

Bet filter

As the name says, the bet filter is another dynamic anti-gambling software that uses different approaches to prevent youth gambling behaviours. It has amazing features like self-destructive, online booking, discrete upgrades, a YouTube guide, and more to help you in your gambling addiction recovery journey. Compatible with Windows and Mac OS X, it’s super easy to install on your PC and get started with gambling prevention.

Netnanny

Net Nanny is popular anti-gambling software that specifically targets and helps youth and children to break the gambling addiction. The app can be shared among 5 users at the same time on Windows, macOS, Apple, Android, and Fire. However, you can also use their 20-device programme to measure the effectiveness of their gambling prevention programs.

Gambling Addiction Treatment

Recovering might be a little hard but definitely achievable with the effective gambling addiction treatments available. The earlier you recognize the problem, the easier it is to recover from it. Below are some of the listed tried and tested gambling addiction treatments.

Therapy

Getting regular and effective therapies can prove helpful in killing your urge to go spend money. Such treatments replace the negative thoughts in your mind and break the repetitive behaviour.

Medications

If you’ve developed a serious gambling addiction, medicines can help you go a long way and recover soon. Medications like anti-depressants, mood stabilizers and pain relievers can offer temporary relief from the emotional triggers.

Self-help Groups

In order to kick off all the gambling problems, it’s vital to share the issue with a professional who can help you in this cause. Register yourself in self-help groups where you can interact with other players trying to recover from the same problem. Besides, there are many government addiction treatment programs and campaigns running in the country. In these campaigns, you can seek psychological, behavioural and physical help to get over decease.

Places to Get Help

With the increasing cases of gambling addiction, there are a number of places where you can approach and seek help to become a responsible gambler.

Such places have certified therapists and professionals who use effective approaches to reduce the harmful financial and health outcomes. Below listed are places where gamblers come to recover and get peace of mind.

Place Description
Gamblers Anonymous Founded in 1957, gamblers anonymous is a platform where a group of people come together to solve their common problems. They are some of the best-certified experts, helping gambling addicts identify their gambling addiction symptoms. You can reach out to them on their official website Gamblers Anonymous or call (626) 960-3500.
Rehabs.in Rehab clinic is a general rehabilitation centre working internationally to help people get rid of addictions with special cognitive behaviour treatment (CBT). The psychiatric clinic and de-addiction center mostly deals with patients struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. You can reach out to them on their official website, Rehabs. in.
Hope Trust India Hope Trust India is one of the most successful rehabilitation centres in India, changing the lives of different addicts with psychological counselling. Using a holistic approach, they cater to patients’ individual needs and start treatment for the mental, physical and emotional well-being of patients. You can reach out to them on their official website, hope Trust India, or call on 91 7893003070
Ok Rehab Working for the last 21 years, Ok Rehab has been serving the community to best addict together through various treatments. To date, they’ve helped thousands of people rebuild their lives and make a shift to a better quality of life. You can read more about them on their official website https://www.okrehab.org/ or call on 0800 326 5559
Gambling Therapy Founded by Gordon Moody, gambling therapy is a global service providing support to gamblers from all around the world. From effective, responsible gambling practices, advice and support groups to other unique approaches, they are working towards a gambling-free community. You can check out more about them on their website https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/ or call support@gamblingtherapy.org
Gam Care Gam Care is another leading UK therapy centre helping addicts return to their everyday lives. With blocking software, self-exclusion, money management, self-guided resources and other helpful approaches, they help patients deal with their gambling activity in a set amount of time. You can find more of them on https://www.gamcare.org.uk/ or call on 0808 8020 133

Conclusion

In India, isolation and cheap internet rates have made many people, from young to adults, addicted to gambling, but things can still get better.

If you feel deeply immersed in this atmosphere but can’t seem to find a way out, this guide will help you out. From gambling addiction symptoms to its treatments and everything in between, we’ve covered everything for your ease.

Discover More Guides On Responsible Gambling

FAQ

How does gambling addiction affect the brain?

This type of compulsive gambling addiction can negatively affect your brain by generating higher dopamine levels, resulting in poor mental health. A gambling addict is more likely to have stress, anxiety, depression and jealousy than an average person.

Why is gambling addiction bad?

Gambling addiction is equally destructive, like alcohol and drug addiction that can leave underlying effects on your social, financial and psychological state. Moreover, Gambling too much can lead to financial crises, disturbed relationships and poor social impressions.

Do online casinos promote responsible gambling?

Yes, there are a bevvy of best online casinos that consider responsible gambling a significant part of maintaining a professional environment in their casino. Above, we've mentioned the best tips to find a secure online casino that encourages responsible gambling.

How do you stop gambling addiction?

Yes, there are a bevvy of best online casinos that consider responsible gambling a significant part of maintaining a professional environment in their casino. Above, we've mentioned the best tips to find a secure online casino that encourages responsible gambling