Before you start your online casino gaming, please check what they say about the conditions for safe playing. Trustworthy online casinos must have a link on the homepage leading to the responsible gambling section. Modern online casinos must stick to the guidelines for responsible gaming. These are guidelines formulated by an online organization specially engaged in the ensurance of fair play in online gaming. That organization is eCOGRA, and its guidelines have been in effect since April 2012. According to the guidelines, online casinos must provide the safety and security of players’ money, and also the protection of their privacy. Another responsibility is related to advertising.
According to the current regulations for online casinos, all software you download to play should also have a link leading directly to the page on responsible gaming.
Online gaming should bring you enjoyment, and not put you under stress
People join online or brick and mortar casinos because they can play and get lots of thrills, expecting chance to cross their way and bring them winnings. But that expectation of winning should not put you under stress, you should not become obsessed by it. Please bear in mind that gambling depends on luck. So you can’t only win, sometimes you may lose.
Players’ protection methods
The page should also have information on the methods the casino uses to protect players. These methods are the limits for deposits, periods of cooling off, and, too, self-exclusion: for a day, for a longer period, or permanently. Furthermore, there is a requirement for online casinos to have a clock on their sites, to enable you to keep track of the period of time you have spent there. Yet another method that will help you to organize your gaming and keep track of your money movements is to access the history in your casino account. There, you will find not only information on your winnings and loses, but also information on your deposits, bonuses, etc.
Setting your budget
Trustworthy online casino sites will help you to organize your budget and be sure that you will not exceed it at any time. They should provide features to help you manage the limits of your budget for the day, the week, and the month. In the guidelines you should find information on how you can set the limits on your deposits. If you send the casino team a request for having your limits reduced, that request should be followed immediately by the casino. But you should bear in mind that first there is a wait time period which is minimum 24 hours, before your request about the deposit limit is granted.
Reminder that you can become addicted
As you open a casino’s section on responsible gaming, you must find their policy regarding players’ gambling. They should also include an important warning about possibilities of players’ getting addicted as they continue to play. You can become under risk of getting addicted if you cannot make yourself stop even when you start exceeding the budget you have set for your gaming. In fact, the most important sign that you are against a gambling problem is the fact that you start gambling more than you can afford to put at stake.
As part of the responsible gambling section, some casinos offer a self-assessment test. It is a free test which you can take to see if you stand a risk of getting addicted to online gambling.
The casino’s responsible gambling section should also offer a helpline which you can use to get assistance. You should be aware that if you start having problems and cannot stick to responsible gambling, there is a free service offered via the Gambling Therapy website. There, you can get help via live chat, and also via email. There is also help on the Gamblers Anonymous website.
Self-exclusion
You should also find information on self-exclusion from online casino gaming. Many online casinos offer the feature of self-excluding yourself, as part of the responsible gaming policy. The minimum period for which you can ask to be self-excluded is 6 months. During that period, your account will remain locked. As soon as you request self-exclusion, your balance will be returned to you. Throughout the period of self-exclusion you will not get any emails or offers from the casino.
If you are at risk of becoming addicted, you can download software which can help you to quit gambling. Check the Betfilter website: it has lots of news, and you can try it before you buy it. Betfilter is already available for Windows 8, too. Another option is Stop Gambling Addiction. It is also offered free for trial before you buy. If you are too tempted to continue gambling, you can ask a friend you trust to set up the software for you.
