Safe Gambling Tips

With that in mind, it’s always necessary for every gambler to enjoy gambling games safely and responsibly.

As so few of us would want to give up on gambling entirely, this is the only way for gamblers to ensure we never experience problem gambling or full-blown addiction. 

How do you gamble responsibly and safely?

That’s precisely the question we aim to answer today, and we’ll do it with the help of several tips you can start employing right now.

• Keep track of the money and time
• Limit the amount you spend
• Gamble with money you are ready to lose
• Take breaks from gambling
• Don’t borrow money for gambling
• Don’t believe in superstitions about gambling
• Think of gambling as a form of entertainment
• Gambling is not a way to make money
• Make sure gambling is a small part of your life
• Never chase your losses
• Never gamble if you are depressed, anxious, or in any way upset
• Never use gambling as a means to escape problems
• Never gamble under the influence
• Use self-exclusion programs
• Always seek help if you feel you have a problem

1. Keep track of the money and time you spend on gambling

Create a spreadsheet or use a budgeting app to keep track of the money you spend on gambling. Then, if you want to go further, you can do the same with the time you spend on these activities. 

The goal is to keep track so you never spend too much money or time when you could be doing something more productive. 

2. Limit the amount you spend on gambling in advance

Before you start gambling, make sure you’ve created a clear budget that fits your current expenses and income. It’s best to do this when you get your monthly paycheck, so you can have a clear budget for everything you need for the month. 

Also, gambling should never be a big part of this budget as it’s only a form of entertainment, not an essential need like food, rent, or utilities. 

3. Gamble only with money you are willing to lose

Gambling is not necessary — it’s just a hobby and something that will help you have fun. That’s why it only makes sense to spend as much money on it as you can afford to lose. If you reach the limit, stop gambling until you get the next paycheck. 

4. Take frequent breaks from gambling

Breaks are essential for any activity as you can easily get overwhelmed or start spending too much time on them. This is especially true with gambling, which is why you should take frequent breaks whenever you sit down to play some gambling games or place a few bets. 

You should also take longer breaks in terms of days and weeks if you feel you’ve been spending too much time gambling. 

5. Don’t borrow money for gambling

Never borrow money to gamble. Gambling is not a necessary activity in your life, so you should never spend money on it that you don’t have. 

This also means that you should never gamble with money you borrowed for something else. 

6. Don’t believe in superstitions about gambling

The number of gamblers who associate superstitious thinking with gambling is genuinely massive. This is entirely wrong as no matter what you believe, gambling will always be random. It’s based on luck and chance, and no matter what anyone does, they can never change that. 

Sometimes it will seem like certain behaviours or patterns tend to lead to favourable outcomes in gambling, but it’s all luck and chance, and it would be best to remember that. 

7. Think of gambling as a form of entertainment

People get into gambling for all sorts of reasons, and it’s rarely for having fun. However, you cannot use gambling for getting out of financial problems or anything of the sort, as you can quickly get into even bigger monetary troubles. 

That’s why it’s vital to start considering gambling as a form of entertainment for which you need to spend some money just as you would for many other forms of entertainment. 

8. Remember that gambling is not a way to make money

Having a proper mindset when gambling is also helpful. If you consider gambling games to be a way of making money, then you’ll quickly fall into the trap of chasing bigger and bigger wins without taking count of how much you’re losing.

Gambling has never been and never will be a smart method for making money. It’s entertainment that happens to involve money, and that’s it. So, stop viewing it as a means of getting more cash or getting rich.

9. Make sure gambling is a small part of your life

Even if you’re careful not to spend too much money on gambling, it doesn’t mean you’ll never develop a gambling problem. If you spend too much time gambling, even with tiny amounts of money, you can still end up having problems and possibly become addicted. 

What’s more, many gamblers start prioritising gambling over other hobbies and activities, leading to issues later down the line. 

It’s thus preferable to spend only a tiny part of your time on gambling, just as you would with any other fun activity. Gambling should never be a priority. 

10. Never chase your losses under any circumstances

Many gamblers feel that, whenever they lose, it’s best to keep gambling until they finally win what they were hoping to win. 

However, this is entirely wrong. Gambling is luck-based, so you can never know if and when you’ll win enough to cover your losses. 

If you lose too much or have reached your monthly limit, stop gambling. You are more likely to lose even more if you continue playing, as you won’t be thinking clearly anymore.  

11. Never gamble if you are depressed, anxious, or in any way upset

All of these conditions leave you in a weaker mental state, and that’s not where you want to be when gambling. If you think that gambling will help you as it’s fun, it almost certainly will not. It will only make these states worse. 

12. Never use gambling as a means to escape problems

Gambling is not a remedy for any problem, so you should never use it to escape a problem you’re having. This is especially true if you have severe problems in your life. 

13. Never gamble under the influence of alcohol or drugs

If you’re having fun with alcohol or drugs, it might be tempting to gamble, and it might even seem like a good idea. But remember, it never is. Alcohol and drugs can limit your reasoning and quickly lead you to lose control. You don’t want to do that while you’re gambling — it rarely ends well. 

14. Use self-exclusion programs as soon as you need them

Self-exclusion programs are there for a reason, and they do work. So, if you ever start thinking that you are gambling more than you should be, use them. If not a full self-exclusion scheme, you should certainly use the self-limit option most casinos offer today. 

15. Always seek help if you feel you have a problem with gambling

If you think you’re having problems with gambling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It will be much worse if you develop a real problem, so it’s much better to seek help as soon as possible. 

So, ask for help from friends and family, or even better, from dedicated institutions and websites like GamCare. They are there to help you and can tell you what you need to do. 

Conclusion

Stop gambling if you notice signs of any problem!

It’s often hard to notice that you have a problem, but almost all of us can see when we begin developing a problem, especially something like problem gambling. 

If you notice any signs of problem gambling or potential gambling addiction, stop playing. That’s because it’s easier to destroy a problem if it’s in the earlier stages of development.