The advent of online gambling of various kinds over the last decade or so has raised the issue of being able to enjoy gambling safely and responsibly. Gambling is more accessible than ever, and there are signs that compulsive and addictive behaviour in relation to gambling is increasing. Free slots its said to be one of the most commons way to get into gambling.
This makes it more important than ever that keen gamblers have some kind of strategy in place to keep them from falling into negative patterns of behaviour. Thankfully, coming up with a strategy that works is not difficult to do. There are a number of very simple steps that you can take that will help prevent you becoming an addictive or compulsive gambler.
Here in this article, we will outline a few of these steps, and show you how simple it is to keep your gambling under control. Nothing that we outline here is too difficult for you to implement in your life. Read on to discover more about how to gamble safely and responsibly; in terms of safety, free slot games can be a good way to alleviate stress without spending your cash.
Set Your Limits when playing on an online casino
One really simple thing that you can is to set limits for your spending and stick to them. For example, you might set a budget of £30 for your gambling. When this sum has been exhausted, you should stop gambling and leave it until the next week. That way, you remain in control of the amount you are spending, and are not spending more money than you can afford. Free bonuses can also be a good way to not spend from your own cash balance when performing a deposit by mobile!
This technique is also made simpler by the fact that most bookies and online casinos allow you to set your own spending limits on your account. This means that you have a useful way of ensuring that you stick to your budget, if you suspect that you might fall prey to weakness.
Never Gamble When Angry or Frustrated
Another important thing to remember is that gambling when you are in an emotionally negative state can be very dangerous. If you are angry or depressed then you may use gambling as a way to escape from your other problems. Being in a state of emotional upset can lead to you making bad decisions about what to bet on and, perhaps more importantly, how much cash to bet. If you then lose money, those feelings of frustration and loss will just be intensified, making it much more likely that you will make more poor decisions.
Never Chase Your Losses from a casino
Chasing your losses is disastrous as a gambler. This term is used to describe a process whereby a gambler keeps placing losing bets and, as a result, they start to try and compensate for their losses by placing even more, even bigger bets. This can lead to a disastrous cycle, where ever bigger bets are placed, funds become ever more rapidly depleted and anxiety, frustration and anger grow.
As we mentioned above, betting when you are feeling those kinds of negative emotions can lead to you making very poor decisions indeed. Chasing your losses is a fast track route to disaster, and will always make things worse. It is very rare that anyone actually manages to recover everything that they have lost as a result of chasing losses. Usually, more often than not, it really does exacerbate an already bad situation.
Know When to Stop Betting
This is a really important factor to consider, and it relates to everything that we have already stated above. While many people will know when to stop because of how they feel, and their own self-knowledge, some people can become compulsive and just keep betting, even though they know they are locked into a negative spiral.
This is where setting a time limit for your gambling can come in useful. Set aside a couple of hours every day when you are in a good mood and relaxed, and can enjoy some positive betting experiences. When the time comes for you to stop, just stop. You know you can come back to it the next day.
Place Plenty of Small Bets
A technique that is particularly useful if you enjoy betting on sport is to place many smaller bets rather than one or two really big ones. This helps to prevent you from losing large amounts of money in big chunks. Losing big bets, especially if you lose two or three in a row, can soon create the perfect conditions for chasing your losses and ending up in more trouble.
If you opt to place lots of small bets instead then the enjoyment levels are maintained too. You can get your betting thrills by waiting for several different results to come in, rather than sweating it all on one big bet. This helps to maintain the fun that gambling is supposed to be about, and also gives you more opportunities to enjoy the thrill that comes with winning.
Seek Help from Organisations like The Gambling Commission – It’s Out There if You Need it
If you do find that you have fallen in addictive and compulsive patterns of behaviour when it comes to gambling then there is no need to give up hope. There are a number of organisations out there that can provide support and advice to people who have succumbed to addictive gambling. One of these is Gamblers Anonymous. You can seek help from them by checking out their website.
Another organisation which offers help and support to people who feel that they have a gambling problem is Begambleaware.org, which also operates the National Gambling Helpline. This a free phone number that people experiencing issues with gambling can call in order to receive advice and support. There are other organisations out there too. Contact details for many of them can actually be found in the help section of bookmaker’s and casino websites, making it even simpler to seek help and support.
Last Thoughts on Responsible Gambling
As you can see from the above, finding ways to gamble responsibly and safely is not hard. If you follow the simple steps that we have outlined above you should find that you can prevent yourself falling into the traps. The most important thing to remember at all times is that gambling, whether in a casino or betting on sport, is supposed to be fun.