Gambling appeals to people for several reasons, for some the main motivation is to win money, many simply love the adrenaline rush, a huge number enjoy the socializing aspect, and for others, it offers an escape from stress or worries. Thousands of players visit gambling sites to enjoy great entertainment every once in a while, unfortunately for some, it turns into a regular activity that could become problematic over time.
Online casino sites offer convenient stay-at-home play, which makes it easier to play more often without realizing the time or money spent. One of the first rules of playing responsibly is setting a budget and sticking to it, although finding ways to justify a little extra spending comes easy. Gamstop, Gamban, and Gamcare are organizations focused on responsible gambling awareness, and assisting UK players to take back control.
Why Do We Need to Control Our Gambling
What is addiction? It’s a craving, a psychological or physical need or urge to do something, which becomes uncontrollable, yet involvement continues despite the consequences. Unfortunately, we are the last to realize or acknowledge when our habits turn problematic, in gambling, it is often the amount we spent that forces us to seek help.
Some of the other signs part of recognizing problem gambling includes the time spent at gambling sites, or once the excessive amount of hours we spend on our computer has an impact on our relationships with friends and family. Warning signs also include lying about our gambling behaviour which could end up in absence from work.
Due to the continued growth of the responsible gambling concept, online gambling sites offer several self-help tools and lots of free information. One of the first steps you can access online is the self-test and requesting your gambling transaction history from support.
Regulating Bodies for Online Casinos
The definition of problem gambling by the UK Gambling Commission is gambling to a degree that damages, compromises or disrupts personal, family or recreational pursuits. The Gambling Commission continuously explore strategies to prevent problem gambling and recently launched its new national strategy to reduce the harms of gambling. Its success depends on everyone working together as a team to reduce gambling harm through education, prevention, support and treatment.
The UKGC works closely with several organisations to endure a safer gambling experience for players. Partner organisations include GambleAware, the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, and the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms guide.
Most Recent Regulations Passed
The most recent regulation passed by the Gambling Commission is the ban on using credit cards to fund online gambling sites. This includes any form of payment funded via credit card to ensure players only gamble with money they have.
UK players can no longer reverse withdrawals, while risk indicators include the time the member play, deposit frequency, insufficient funds and declined deposits and patterns of loss. The regulations and adjustments recommend registering process include strengthened age verification during the recommend registering process.
To prevent money laundering and gambling problems, the licensed slot sites now require players to forward proof of income and set limits on gambling payments in accordance with UK standards and income. Players’ history includes the amount they’ve spent on gambling, deposit and withdrawal transactions and time spent playing across the past three months. This along with stronger account verification further keeps vulnerable players safe from addiction in the industry.
Gambling websites need to offer players with gambling problems the option of setting limits on deposits, losses, use of time reminders, temporarily breaks from gambling, and self-exclusion. During temporarily and self-exclusion, no access is available to casino accounts, and all marketing and promotional material are blocked from reaching the player. Online casinos also need to provide links to treatment services such as the National Gambling helpline, online treatment support, group treatment support, and individual support.
What is Gamban
The Talkbanstop campaign showed an early success rate due to Gamban, Gamstop and Gamcare joining forces to prevent addiction. The 12-month campaign focused on talk, ban and stop. Talk is education through useful information and encouraging players to seek advice and support. Ban is the use of free apps to block access to gambling sites, and stop is to self-exclude from all gambling websites and gambling apps.
Gamban offers easy to use online gambling sites blocking software on all devices including Android, and iOS, offering a reliable, affordable, and secure option for problem gamblers to stay away from gambling apps and gambling sites, and an effective way to fight the urge.
The Role of Gamban in Online Gambling
Gamban prevents gambling-related harm by offering blocking software to stop access to thousands of apps, betting shops, websites, and other gambling businesses offering gambling services. Gamban not only focuses on blocking gambling software. After intensive research, the app is also designed to assist and motivate those suffering from gambling addiction. Gamban offers an app that becomes an important tool during recovery, after blocking software.
To Paypal users Gamban free service recently became available to users of the leading payment provider, to help prevent the harm suffered from gambling-related addiction. Opting in for the free Gamban feature, all payments towards games of chance, lotteries, sports betting apps, and online casinos are blocked. While deposits and payments towards slots, poker, bingo, roulette, blackjack, and other games remain off-limits.
What is Gamstop
Gamstop is a free online self-exclusion solution available to online gamblers to prevent the use of apps and gambling websites licensed in the United Kingdom. The non-profit organisation is approved by the Gambling Commission and every licensed bookmaker and casino in Great Britain is obligated by law to take part in the Gamstop self-exclusion program. The program accessible by players is voluntary and confidential and provides three periods of self-exclusion.
Once players opt-in for the Gamstop self-exclusion scheme, they are effectively banned from gambling sites offering real money gamble services for the entire period selected for self-exclusion. Subscription to Gamstop cannot be reversed and only applies to casinos licensed in the United Kingdom, not websites regulated and licensed by other jurisdictions.
How Does Gamstop Help Curb Bad Gambling
Gamstop is for all players residing in the United Kingdom who wish to self-exclude from gambling sites. Anyone using Gamstop can choose from three different periods of self-exclusion, the shortest period is 6 months, an option normally used by gamblers who wish to take a break from online gambling.
The two remaining periods is one year or five years, these options are preferred by players suffering from gambling addiction. The longer periods are choices most suited to players who understand they need to stop gambling due to serious gambling addiction. In such cases, Gamstop will recommend Gamban blocking software, one of the most effective practical tools in helping players via support groups in special chat rooms.
What is Gamcare
Gamcare is one of the United Kingdom’s leaders in providing free information, support and advice for those harmed or affected by gambling. The independent organisation was established in England in 1997 and offers 24/7 access to advisers as well as live chats offering emotional support, and the GamCare Forum provides members with a secure message board space to explore their situation. The group chat rooms offer live text providing access to players in a similar situation, offering support to each other. The Gamcare recovery kit offers all the tools gamblers need including self-guided resources, money management, self-exclusion and blocking software.
When to use Gamcare
GamCare is the answer when you’re looking for advice, support, and help from specialists to help you escape from gambling addiction. Gamcare offers free access to advisers via the National Gambling helpline offering 24 hours a day online support. Advisers are trained in discussing options available to problem gamblers in coping and changing gambling behaviour, support during the recovery journey, and support to others impacted by gambling. The chatrooms are a great feature allowing participants to share experiences and support each other.
Why is Responsible Gaming Important for Online Gamblers
Studies have proven that gambling addiction and other addictions such as substance abuse and alcoholism are even more dangerous when someone suffers from a combination of all. It has a huge effect on a close family member and if detected earlier it can be successfully treated. In the same way that Alcoholics anonymous help those suffering from assistive drinking, Gamcare, Gamstop, and Gamban provide gambling solutions to problem gamblers.
Responsible Gaming is an important step in preventing gambling problems or detecting the signs early through sharing information regarding the possible harm of losing control while gambling. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission required online casinos, bookies, land-based casinos and betting sites to work together and promote responsible gambling. Policies include protection of those vulnerable to gambling, preventing gambling available to the underage, ensuring gambler’s data remains private at all times and keeping marketing strategies ethical.
Responsible gaming is a concept to prevent gambling addiction through time-outs, deposit limits, activity alerts, limiting access, and self-exclusion.
