Safer Gambling Week is an annual event in the UK and Ireland that promotes responsible betting practices. All week long, bookmakers and charities emphasize the use of safer gambling tools to help customers manage their gambling habits throughout the year.
The event aims to encourage discussions about gambling behaviors and to offer essential support to those who may struggle with responsible betting. This is achieved by directing them to advice and assistance resources.
In addition to bookmakers, support organizations such as GamCare will conduct workshops and training sessions throughout the week.
In the United States, and other places around the world, people can always turn to Gamblers Anonymous and the National Problem Gambling Helpline.
How To Keep Gambling Under Control
Safer Gambling Week encourages discussions, and one of the first places to start, IF you think you might be gambling too much, is to have a look at yourself. If you’re looking for ways to keep your gambling habits under control, experts recommend trying one (or more) of the following:
- Set reality checks: Use prompts and time-outs to help you control how much time you spend playing online or at the casino.
- Self-exclude: You can opt to stop gambling entirely by self-excluding for a period between six months and five years.
- Set deposit limits: You can decide how much money to deposit daily, weekly, or monthly, and you can change or remove these limits whenever you want.
- Take a break: You can choose to take a break from gambling for a period ranging from 24 hours to 6 weeks.
- Track your gambling history: Keep track of your gambling by accessing the history of your transactions, deposits, and withdrawals.
- Set stake limits: Choose your stake and loss limits before you start. You can also decide to pause the game when you hit a jackpot to prevent using up your winnings.
Online casino gaming is currently legal in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware.
Ask Yourself These Questions About Gambling
Other steps you can take to make sure that you’re not overdoing it is take one of the online self-help assessments that are offered on gambling support sites. They provide yes and no questions that help you to determine if you have a problem.
- Have other people criticized your betting or told you that you had a problem with gambling (regardless of whether or not you thought it was true)?
- Have you tried to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)?
- Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
Gambling disorder is a recognized medical condition. It can affect people from all walks of life.
It will not only impact your financial stability and interpersonal relationships, but your physical and mental health, as well.
While some people may find that simply acknowledging the issue is sufficient to change their behavior, others may benefit from the variety of support services available. It’s all done in the spirit of responsible gaming.
