Responsible Gambling -- Make sure to always Gamble Responibly

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At Bonuses.org, we take responsible gambling incredibly seriously.

All forms of gambling should be fun and safe, and players should never be in a situation where their health or finances are at risk. It’s crucial that you only gamble when you’re in control, and if you ever feel in any way distressed then you should immediately stop and seek help.

All gambling sites in the UK must have a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to operate legally. Part of this licence requires each site to provide support for problem gambling. In line with that, we’ve compiled some helpful tools and resources below.

Underage gambling

In the UK, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to gamble in licenced premises (such as casinos, bookmakers, betting shops etc), either online or at a land-based establishment.

All players will be subject to identity checks to prove that they are old enough to gamble. This happens online always via verification, and within land-based establishments based on your appearance (often if you look under 25). If you are unable to provide suitable identification then you won’t be able to gamble.

How to gamble responsibly

Through all forms of gambling, there is a sizeable risk that you will lose money. Therefore, there are risks involved.

To help keep things safe and fun, there are a few things you should do:

Never treat gambling as a source of income
Set a time limit on how long you’ll play
Set a limit on how much money you’ll play with (many websites have deposit limits you can set)
NEVER gamble more than you can afford to lose
Do not try to chase or make back any of your losses
Take breaks regularly while you’re playing to get away from the environment
Do not gamble if you’re intoxicated
Do not gamble if you’re distressed or in any other negative frame of mind

Watch for warning signs

Unfortunately, problem gambling affects many people – including family and friends. Sometimes, it can be very difficult to identify if someone has a gambling problem. However, here are a few possible signs:

Spending more and more time gambling
Increasing how much they play with
Going over pre-set limits
No longer gambling for fun and enjoyment
Trying to win back money that’s been lost (chasing losses)
Missing appointments or commitments
Borrowing money to play (getting into debt)
Hiding the extent of gambling habits
Causing stress, anxiety, or any other form of distress
Causing problems with family, friends, or co-workers

If any of the answers are positive, then you should seek help.

Problem gambling tests

If you’re unsure whether you are at risk of problematic gambling, you can take a free, anonymous test.

The results will be delivered quickly and they may help inform your next steps.

Try out:

Resources for problematic gambling

Below is a list of helpful resources for problematic gambling.

Time out

Take a time out from your gameplay and do something else for a while. This will allow you to refresh and rethink your gaming habits.

If playing online then you can activate a gambling site’s timeout feature. The UKGC requires all sites to have an in-built timeout feature that stops customers from playing for set periods of time – anywhere between 24 hours and 6 weeks.

Self-exclude

For a longer break period or to stop yourself from playing completely then you can consider self-exclusion. This is a legal requirement upheld by the UKGC. It allows players to join registers which outright ban you from gambling in specific environments – such as online or at land-based establishments. You can decide to do this for a period of time or forever.

In the UK there are different self-exclusion bodies for different forms of gambling:

Gamstop – The online gambling self-exclusion platform. It will stop you from playing at all licenced gambling sites in the UK. It is a legal requirement that all sites offer links to Gamstop on their pages.
MOSES – The betting shop exclusion platform. If you sign up for this scheme you’ll be excluded from betting shops in the UK.
SENSE – The land-based casino exclusion platform. When you enrol, you’ll be prevented from accessing all the participating UK casinos on land.

Gambling site blocks

If you want to add an additional block to online gambling then you can use apps and software that block access to gambling sites.

Here are a couple of popular options:

Gamban – This tool works across devices, has a 7-day free trial, and stops you from accessing thousands of online gambling sites.
GamBlock – Stops you from accessing gambling sites by analyses, with several licences available.

Support networks

It can be very hard to deal with problem gambling, but there are now plenty of gambling problem support groups and resources.

Here are some of the most well-known in the UK:

BeGambleAware – Free and anonymous support, available 24/7 via live chat or telephone.
GamCare – 24/7 telephone or live chat support, with groups and a forum for community support.
NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic – NHS clinic that offers treatment and support for problem gamblers and their families.
Gam-Anon – Regular support group meetings for the friends and family of people suffering from gambling addiction.
Gamblers Anonymous – Regular support group meetings for people with gambling problems.
Gordon Moody Association – A residential treatment centre for people with severe gambling addiction in the UK.