With Safer Gambling Week taking place in the UK, there’s no better time to provide you with all you need to know about how to gamble responsibly. This article will take you through all you need to know about the topic.
Any sort of gambling should be considered as fun, and if it ever doesn’t appear as that, then plenty of betting sites have various safer gambling tools which you can use to put certain restrictions on your account, or take a break from the the website completely.
We’ll delve deeper into safer gambling, and look into ways in which you can potentially spot when gambling is becoming a problem, rather than entertainment, as well as looking into the various organisations you can get in contact with to help you further.
Safer Gambling Advice: How can you gamble responsibly?
Set Deposit Limits
Deposit limits is a safer gambling tool which is available with the majority of UK betting sites, which is pleasing to see, as it’s one of the best safer gambling tools to use for bettors. You’ll be able to set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits on your account with your chosen bookmaker, and it’ll typically take 24 hours to make any changes to those limits, which often prevents punters from depositing further funds into their account as they potentially chase a loss. Once you set the deposit limit in place, you won’t be able to deposit anymore funds until the timeframe set has been observed.
Bankroll Management
This can be difficult for some bettors who are at risk of chasing any losses, and that’s something that we’d strongly advise against at any point. Having sensible bankroll management is all about not being rash in terms of placing bets, as if you do this, then it can be difficult to stop. You can set win limits and loss limits on your account with your chosen bookmaker, which can help towards a sensible bankroll management, and not gambling with funds you can’t afford to lose.
Take A Break
This safer gambling tool is relatively self-explanatory, as you can take a break from any betting site with the Take A Break feature. This will mean that you can be signed out of the account for a certain period of time. Even if it’s just a 30 minute break, that can sometimes be beneficial to some bettors, as it can slowly but surely break the habit of spending a prolonged spell on a gambling site in one sitting.
Safer Gambling Week 2024: The Rundown
Safer Gambling Week is upon us, with it taking place from Monday 18th November through until Sunday 24th November. Bookmakers across the UK will be running their own campaigns throughout the week to promote safer gambling, as well as mentioning what safer gambling tools are available to their customers across their site.
Safer gambling organisations will be hosting events during the week, which will allow the public to learn more about various topics do with safer gambling, which includes the tools available, as well as responding to any specific questions that anyone might have on themselves or a loved one that might be at risk of developing a gambling addiction over time.
If you’re keen to learn more about Safer Gambling Week 2024, then head over to safergamblinguk.org , which covers a considerable amount of detail on what is included, and what you can expect to see across betting sites this week.
How to spot a potential gambling problem
It can often be difficult to spot a potential gambling problem either in yourself, or of a family and friend that might be experiencing it. An obvious indicator can be stress or anxiousness from an individual, which is likely to be caused by their own habits, or through money that they might be losing. If the bettor is losing funds that they simply can’t afford to lose when it comes to everyday life, then it’s likely to be a hugely stressful situation that could spiral out of control.
A gambling problem is sometimes labelled as a silent addiction, as it’s one that is often kept quiet by the individual involved until problems elsewhere start to arise. If you notice that you or your friends/family are excluding themselves from their normal social group to gamble, then this is another clear sign that the individual is struggling to ease up on their gambling habits.
If you ever see someone you know (or yourself) spending a considerable amount of time or money on a gambling site, then you should certainly look to point them in the right direction when it comes to the tools and organisations available to them. Sometimes, the individual involved might just need someone to talk to, and you could be the first step for them to make towards taking action to tackle their gambling addiction.
Alternatively, you can speak to organisations such as Gamblers Anonymous, or take up counselling or therapy, which is another good alternative for many bettors, as they won’t feel as much judgement compared to if they were talking to someone that they know.
Safer Gambling Organisations
You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to safer gambling organisations, and there are many available that are happy to help you in any possible way towards helping you overcome your gambling problem. Below, we’ll take you through some of the organisations that are involved in safer gambling.
GamCare
GamCare have access to local counsellors, which can provide you with further help to tackle a gambling addiction. They also have many online chat rooms where their team can offer you help over the computer. Some people prefer this, as it doesn’t involve them directly speaking over the phone or in person to someone else. On the GamCare website, you can also contact them via live chat, Whatsapp, online community, or email support.
GamStop
GamStop will allow you to self-exclude yourself from using all the betting sites that you have accounts with online. All you’ll have to do is enter the requested details on their website, and they’ll get you self-excluded from all the sites you’re currently signed into with your email address. When this is activated, you won’t be able to sign into your accounts until the timeframe has been observed.
GambleAware
GambleAware are likely to be one of the most well-known organisations that promote safer gambling in the UK. Many bookmakers are affiliated with them, and GambleAware’s logos and information can be found across many different betting sites. They have a 24/7 helpline available, which means that you can get in contact with them at any point in the day. You can contact them on 0808 8020 133 for the 24/7 helpline, where their team will be happy to help you with no judgement at all.
