Safe Gambling Guide

Gambling should always be treated as a hobby. Thus, you shouldn’t use it as a main source of income and only do it for the fun of it. 

On SlotsMate, we strongly support responsible play and addiction awareness. That’s why we’ve put together a series of articles and tools that anyone can use to get their gambling addiction in check. 

Keep reading to discover more about safe gambling.

15 Useful Tips for Responsible Gambling

Gambling is an easy and fun way to kill some time. You can even learn new game strategies and make some extra money in the process. 

Sadly, as many of you know, gambling can become addictive. And it’s easy to fall in that trap. That’s why it’s important you take some steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming addicted to gambling. 

We’ve compiled a useful list of tips on how to gamble responsibly:

1. Set up a budget. This will allow you to create and impose a healthy boundary when it comes to your gambling activities.

2. Only gamble for entertainment purposes. Remember that this should be a hobby and should keep you entertained.

3. Don’t gamble when drunk. Alcohol can seriously impair your judgment and push you to spend more than you should.

4. Only gamble at reputable places. Do as much research as you can before spending money at an online casino. This is how you avoid getting scammed.

5. Expect to suffer some losses. Gambling isn’t always about winning. In fact, it might take a long time before you even make your first money.

6. Never gamble as a way to cope with stress or depression. In that state of mind, gambling will only make things worse.

7. Know the game rules. Never bet on a game unless you’re completely aware of how that game functions and how it should be played.

8. Take breaks whenever you need them. When you feel that gambling is no longer fun for you, don’t be afraid to take a break. 

9. Don’t make gambling a priority. Your work, life, hobbies, friends, and family should always come first.

10. Set a time limit. Always set a time limit for your gambling and never go past that. Many online casinos even offer time-limiting tools you can use.

11. Never gamble with borrowed money. If you lose that money, you won’t be able to give it back and you’ll be stuck in debt.

12. Don’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. Make sure you gamble with your entertainment money, not with your rent or utilities money.

13. Never use your credit card to gamble. With a credit card, you’ll find yourself spending money you don’t have in no time.

14. Mind the “Gambler’s Fallacy”. Have you felt like you’re due for a win just because you’ve had a losing streak? If you hit six losing spins on a slot, it doesn’t mean the seventh will be a winning one. The odds stay the same.

15. Educate yourself about problem gambling. There are tons of reputable websites and tools online that you can use for information. BeGambleAware, for example, is a great first stop for every person struggling with an addiction.

How Much Should You Wager?

According to the Gambling Commission, the total gross gambling yield in Great Britain was no less than £5.9bn in April to September 2020. 

As you can see, there’s still a growing interest in such activities. Naturally, this raises the question of how much one should spend on gambling. There’s no exact answer to that, as it depends on each person’s individual budget. 

And since we’re on the budget topic, we’d like to address its importance. To be more exact, the importance of setting a budget for your gambling.

So how do you keep track of your gambling spending? Nothing easier!

Keep A Spendings Journal

One of the best ways to keep track of your spending is to keep a gambling journal. When you write down these things, it will help you lay down on paper the information that you have in mind. Here are some useful tips on how to use a gambling journal:

• Set a time. Take some time off your day to write in your journal. The mornings are usually the best time for this but we’re sure you can find some other appropriate time of day.

• Use it before gambling sessions. As soon as you start a new gambling session, make a note of it in your journal. After you’re done, you can get back and describe your experience. 

• Keep track of your mistakes. Any gambling mistake should be noted in your journal. In this way, you’ll be able to come back later to it and see if you keep making the same mistakes.

• Write down the games you play. You can even split them into categories - slots or table games. For each game, you can use your journal to set up strategies and reviews.

• Keep track of your budget. Your journal is also a good budget tracker if you use it correctly. During each gambling session, make sure to write down the amounts you’re betting on each game.

Using a Calculator

If you don’t feel like manually keeping track of your gambling spending, you can always use a calculator. The Cost2Play Calculator is the easiest one to use:

1. Add your bet amount;

2. Enter the number of hours per week you play;

3. Add your rate of play.

After you’ve done that, the calculator will show you how much you’re spending on gambling every hour, month, or year. The Cost2Play Calculator works for games such as slots, Blackjack, and Roulette. 

How to Find a Safe Online Casino

It’s important your gambling sessions are as safe and secure as possible. That’s why you should always choose a reputable online casino that has all the licenses and regulations in place. 

Before placing your bets, make sure you gather as much information on the casino as possible. Here are SlotsMate’s tips for choosing a safe online casino:

1. Check their licenses and regulations. First and foremost, you should always check if an online casino is licensed by the appropriate third parties. Some of the most reputable institutions include the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority. In addition to these, the casino should also be regulated by the country you’re playing from.

2. Check the casino’s security. Every good online casino will put their clients’ safety first. Check to see if the casino has an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. This is a global security standard that encrypts the data transferred between a browser and a server.

3. Check the payment methods. A legal casino will always offer varied payment methods to its players. The most common ones are VISA and MasterCard, followed by Neteller, Skrill or PayPal. Some casinos have even introduced crypto payments and withdrawals.

4. Check the software providers. A reputable online casino will use the best and safest software provided by reputable studios. There are many providers out there but only a few have gained respect and recognition (MicroGaming, NetEnt or Playtech for example). Such big names are usually very picky when it comes to the casinos they collaborate with, which means they only choose the ones they trust.

5. Check their customer support. It’s important you give a test drive to a casino’s customer support before you place your bets. Good customer support is the key in solving issues that might arise. 

6. Check their responsible gambling page. Every good online casino will always offer tools and resources that will allow its players to keep track of their gambling habits. These tools include self-limits, betting limits, or exclusion programs.

Helpful Tools for a Responsible Play

There are a few ways in which casinos and providers alike are educating and helping their players enjoy a safe and pleasant experience. Let’s see what some of them are!

1. Limit settings of duration and spending. These limits allow players to automatically set some time and spending limits. This is usually done from your casino account and is supported by animations and reminders when you’re close to that limit.

2. Enforced breaks in play. These have been introduced by operators as a means to provide their players with a time-out. This cool-off period will allow gamblers to reflect and think more rationally about whether they want to continue playing or not.

3. Automatic display of informative messages. Online casinos might also use automatically-displayed messages that serve as reminders and sources of information. They’re effective when it comes to self-awareness and self-control. 

4. Behavioral tracking tools. These tools are used by casinos to track possible problem gamblers and assess behavioral changes so they can offer help and support when the situation calls for it.

5. Staff training to respond to problem gambling. Staff training provides the necessary information for employees to better identify and respond to any sign of problem behavior they might encounter.

6. Self-exclusion programs. Self-exclusion programs offer the possibility for gamblers to voluntarily exclude themselves from a venue or a website. This helps people control their gambling urges, spend less and reduce the severity of their addiction. You can read a full guide about self-exclusion to learn more. 

7. Promotion and marketing of responsible gambling. The marketing of responsible gambling usually includes information on the social and emotional consequences problem gambling has on people. 

Problem Gambling Statistics

In 2021, the Gaming Commission conducted a quarterly telephone survey. They interviewed 4,010 adults aged 16 and over in September 2020, December 2020, March 2021, and June 2021. 

Here’s what they found:

• Up to June 2021, overall participation in gambling has dropped to 42% compared to 2020.

• Up to June 2021, the online gambling participation rate has increased to 25%, while land-based casinos met an 8% decline in visits.

• The problem gambling rate is at a stable 0.4%.

• The moderate risk rate has decreased to 0.7%, compared to 1.4% in 2020.

The Responsible Gambler’s Profile

Being a responsible gambler is quite simple. There are a few steps you can follow to make sure your gambling sessions remain safe and entertaining:

1. Understand that gambling is just a form of entertainment and establish clear limits of time and budget.

2. Know all the rules and technical considerations of a game before playing it (such as RTP, volatility or house edge).

3. Only gamble when you’re emotionally stable and sober. Never go past 1% of your income with your bets and always stop and reassess your gambling when you find yourself on a losing streak.

4. Take plenty of breaks from gambling. This should be just another hobby and shouldn’t be placed before your life, work and family.

5. Don’t let your gambling interfere with your social or professional duties.

6. Use all the responsible gambling tools you have to their fullest potential. 

Once you’ve done that, don’t be afraid to ask for help from either your friends or family or a specialist. 

Remember - you’re not alone in this!