Responsible Gaming

Gambling can be addictive and may lead to a myriad of problems, resulting in the deterioration of an individual. Hence we implore people to practice responsible gambling – don’t try to make a living out of it.

What Are The Tell-Tale Signs of Gambling Addiction?

Losing more than you should (or can afford). At this point, gambling stops being fun, which may affect rational decision-making.
Covering your losses with gambling. This typical gambling behaviour is known as “chasing”. You should consult gambling programs for medical and confidential support.
You can’t control your own play until you have no money left. This means you’re heavily affected by gambling and should immediately consult a gambling helpline or find gambling community groups.
Gambling becomes your obsession. You’re way past the point where normal activities provide you with any enjoyment and/or pleasure. You fixate on surrounding yourself with other gamblers only.
Friends think you are having a serious gambling problem. It can be really hard to hide the fact that something is off, especially from people who know you. Gamblers often get alienated from their closest friends when refusing to acknowledge the harm gambling is causing.
If you don’t play for money, you are unhappy. Unless you play money-related bets, you are adversely affected by gambling.
You can’t stop gambling at all (even if you don’t have money). Gambling products and gaming for cash becomes the centre of life.

How to Prevent a Gambling Problem From Developing?

Gambling addiction per se should be a concern of both players and gambling operators. Like with any disease, the best way of treating it is by preventing it. Hence, many gambling platforms promote and administer special employee training that can help them recognize gambling problems in development.

Internal control in the industry must be handled with extreme caution regarding risk-related behaviour and actions. One way to utilise this is by advocating responsible gambling practices. Advertising can be a powerful tool as well as the implementation of programs such as “Love the game, not the odds”, by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. This program is one of the best in South Australia.

Another key measure is not to drink while you play. Alcohol clouds your judgment, so stay away from all types of alcoholic beverages offered by casino employees.

Practical steps to help you stay in control

Take breaks, take care of your health

Responsible gambling is all about taking care of yourself. Often players who are into gambling for the pleasure of winning and gaming do not face any major concerns. Taking frequent breaks from time to time can alleviate serious issues with gambling (or the law for that matter). This is particularly important if you start losing big time. Take a deep breath, stop for a while and consolidate your thoughts. This will benefit your mental health immensely and promote rational decision-making.

Set your deposit limits

It is important for every player to make a conscious decision of planning a “gambling budget” and stick to it. This will prevent you from losing more than you actually earn. Most gambling establishments offer responsible gambling programs that help you to set your deposit limits. So, set up your limit and don’t look back at the money you lost. Trying to recover it is a trap.

Never be afraid to ask for help

Probably the most crucial step in this list, asking for help shows determination and maturity to deal with the existing problem. Seeking help from professionals trained in the matter may save you from sinking even deeper into gambling harm and addiction.

Why The Casino Bros Promote Responsible Gaming?

The term “responsible gambling” may sound like an oxymoron, and probably it is. Yet, often gambling establishments use this term more as a marketing tool than a real warning. Gaming responsibly should not be taken lightly, especially if you consider high gambling-related suicide rates.

If you think about that for a second, it’s understandable why gambling is forbidden for underage persons. It is important to say that we are not taking some superior moral ground on this matter. Gambling can be addictive. Period.

Online Casino Criteria That Receive a 5-Star Rating on Responsible Gambling

Online transaction history. Thanks to many gambling institutions dedicated to responsible gambling, gambling establishments are obliged to keep all payment activities transparent and accessible. Sometimes, even gambling activity is monitored as well. This way, players are 100% sure no one is abusing their account and it hasn’t fallen into the wrong hands (kids for example). Furthermore, knowing how much you deposit/withdraw will give you a somewhat objective picture of how much time you spend gambling.
Self-assessment test. No, this is not a grading test, rather a self-awareness test where players (if they answer questions honestly) can recognize possible emerging gambling problems.
Reality check reminder. This feature alerts players about how long they are playing and how much they are spending. The main downside is that players have to set that reminder themselves, with the possibility of totally ignoring it – something like an alarm clock.
Time-out period. This method is a pretty straightforward way of battling addiction problems. Gambling is prevented for a whole month and players can’t take any action.
Financial limits. It goes without saying that setting financial limits in the gambling world is probably the smartest thing a player can do. Knowing how much you can spend will save you from various financial problems in the future.
Self-exclusion. This measure is basically when players enter into a mutual agreement with a gambling establishment, which restricts them from gambling activities for a certain amount of time. If done on time, this can save players from a loss of a lot of money and potential gambling problems.
Manual flushing. Once activated, this “flushes” your funds from your gambling operator account to your banking account, stopping you from the possibility of using that money to place even more bets, which is quite a common problem among players.
Help and support. Casinos and gambling establishments often provide players with useful information on how to get professional help, minimising gambling harm. This is a basic, yet effective method as it offers first-hand help either by dedicated phone line or live chat option. Operators will usually refer you to Gamblers Anonymous, the International Center for Responsible Gambling, and for Aussie players – the Australasian Gaming Council as some of the top options.

What Is Bonus Abuse?

The most common offence players commit against gambling establishments is considered to be bonus abuse. Sometimes even players with the best intentions, unintentionally make a mistake and abuse bonus offers and promotions. We are not certain 100% why that is, but human nature comes to our minds as one of the main culprits.

Practices that Are Considered Bonus Abuse

Needless to say, the gambling industry frowns upon the bonus abusers and they often use legal actions against those players. Accidental or deliberate, it doesn’t matter – they fall under unwelcome behaviour. Let’s look at the examples of the most common bonus abuse (and avoid them):

Creating multiple accounts in an online casino

This probably is the holy grail of online casino rules – one household/IP address is valid for one casino account only. This means that your family members can’t create multiple accounts under their name from the same IP address in order to activate the same bonus.

Failing to meet the wagering requirements

Wagering requirements are a special rule the casinos around the world use when offering players bonuses and promotions. It is of utmost importance to read terms and conditions thoroughly, to avoid failing to meet them. This will save you from unpleasant situations of losing money and even being banned from the casino altogether.

Claiming the same casino bonuses multiple times

Similar to the one household-one casino account rule, bonuses can be claimed only once from one account. Often new players don’t read T&Cs and make the mistake of claiming the same bonus several times. This results in players not being able to claim any winnings and sometimes getting banned from the casino.

Making large bets with bonus money

Every bonus is a story in itself, especially when it comes to maximum bets limitations. Players often get carried away with the thought of placing large bets and fulfilling wagering requirements quickly without the casino noticing. Again, read the terms and conditions, it matters to avoid any possible problems.

Trying to play ineligible games

Almost every bonus and promotion must be used on certain games (or providers). Do not try to bypass this rule as it will backfire. While seasoned players know this, many newbie players are totally oblivious to this rule and often try playing other games. This may result in the loss of all bonus funds. This is considered to be a major breach of terms and conditions. So, don’t be a wise guy – do your homework, cover all angles, read all the rules (and follow them), and we promise you fun gambling times, risk-free.