What is Responsible Gambling? Responsible gambling is one of the most important aspects of playing online as it significantly affects the way players gamble. We'll elaborate further on this, but first things first, let's go through what responsible gaming actually is. Not to sound too obvious, but responsible gaming is the act of gaming responsibly. Similar to drinking responsibly, gaming responsibly involves keeping your gaming to an acceptable and safe level, so as not to put yourself at risk to the dangers of problem gaming. Responsible gambling is not a simple process and involves many things, including educating oneself on what problem gaming involves, its symptoms, etc. Moreover, players should also be aware of ways to gamble responsibly, follow these responsible gaming practices, and know of entities and organisations that help problem gamers. Finally, responsible gaming also involves making sure that you're choosing the right casino, especially one that is reputable, safe, and genuine. How Does it Affect Players? Not gaming responsibly can land someone in a world of problems, including crippling debt, insolvency, dependency, familial trouble, and so on. Obviously, these are horrible problems, and responsible gaming goes a long way to prevent them. Furthermore, not only does responsible gaming prevent any of the aforementioned problems, but it also ensures that gaming remains a fun, entertaining activity, as it should be. Just like how there's nothing wrong with having a drink every now and again, gambling should also be kept to a moderate level. Prevention is Key As the old adage goes, "prevention is better than cure," and this holds true in the case of responsible gaming. It's always far better to prevent the problem than trying to fix it later, sometimes after it's far too late: problem gaming is a very serious issue, similar to other serious addictions. Vulnerable Gamblers Unfortunately, certain gamers are more prone to becoming problem gamers due to several factors; these include being on medication that might impair one's judgement, having a substance abuse problem, undergoing stressful situations, and having what is known as an "addictive personality," a personality type that is more prone to become addicted. These are the sorts of people that are most at risk, sadly. If you happen to be one of these sorts of people, then it's best to either make use of every possible preventive measure or stay away from gambling altogether. On the other hand, if you know anyone like this, do take care of them and make sure they're gaming responsibly. Underage Gamers This might be an obvious one, but underage gaming is wrong on many levels: not only is it absolutely illegal, but it's also quite immoral to allow youngsters to be exposed to gambling! Youngsters are rather impressionable and may find gambling "cool" and exciting, and thus would easily develop a gaming problem. Information Privacy We've been going on and on about the dangers of addiction, but there's more to responsible gaming than that. Gaming responsibly also involves making sure that you're gaming on reputable platforms that place your privacy as a priority. Be sure to check a casino's Privacy Policy and Security sections to make sure your information is secure. Secure Transactions Related to the previous subsection, not only is it important to make sure that your information will be kept secure on your chosen platform, but also every transaction that you'll eventually make on the casino. Otherwise, you might end up losing money due to unsafe transactions, not verifying the legitimacy of the casino, and so on. Steps to Bet More Responsibly It's not enough for us to tell you that prevention is important if we don't elaborate on the various ways you could forestall the onset of problem gaming. Moreover, sometimes it's way too easy to lose control of a delicate situation, and when the proverbial poop hits the fan, you'll need ways to deal with the problem. 1. Recognising the Problem As we said before, education is a big part of responsible gaming, especially when it comes to understanding what problem gaming involves. These include understanding the patterns of behaviour that problem gamers tend to display, understanding the symptoms of problem gambling, and all the ways to prevent it from happening. With this knowledge in mind, you'll be able to recognise any problematic behaviour that you or a loved one might be slowly developing as a result of problem gaming. If that happens to be the case, please consider any of the following preventive measures. Remember that your health and safety are important. 2. Self-Barring One of the most effective ways to curb the possible emergence of problem gaming, as well as a surefire way of keeping gaming to a responsible level, is the self-exclusion option. This measure includes either taking a short break from gambling, a long one, or giving up gambling altogether if need be. 3. Reaching Out There are plenty of organisations out there that have been set up to help problem gamers; there is nothing to be afraid of or embarrassed about when it comes to reaching out for help. If anything, reaching out is a step in the right direction and a sign of maturity as it shows a certain strength of character. 4. Gambling Therapy Depending on the gravity of the problem, players might need to undergo gambling therapy; it sucks, but it's definitely not the end of the world. The key in this situation is your willingness to get better: no amount of therapy will ever work if you don't want to get better. So, if you find yourself in this situation, be cooperative, have patience, be mindful of what the therapists tell you, and have the strength to face the situation head-on. Our Tips to Stay Responsible Cryptimi wholeheartedly supports and strongly encourages responsible gaming, and as such, wishes for each and every one of its readers to practise responsible gaming. In the spirit of responsible gaming, and to help out our readers gamble responsibly, here's a list of tips of how to stay responsible: Set aside an amount of money that you can afford to lose; this is your bankroll.Don't chase your losses.Don't let gambling take up all your time, make time for your family, friends, etc.Gambling is only an entertaining activity, not a profitable pursuit.Don't gamble with the expectation to win; losing is part of the game.Don't borrow money for gambling, stick to your own cash.Take a break when you feel that gambling is stressing you out.