Online Gambling as an acceptable form of leisure

This article will discuss the true meaning of gambling addiction, also known as pathological, compulsive or gambling disorder. We will walk you through the most typical symptoms, how to detect every signal and prevent yourself or a close friend or family member from getting deeper into this unhealthy obsession with serious consequences. Remember that gambling addiction could be related to sports betting, intriguing Roulette, professional Poker, funny Slots, Scratch cards or any other gambling activity that happens online, in a land-based casino or at the track.

Nowadays, we have such fast access to all kinds of entertainment, and turning a fun, adventurous and harmless activity into a financial disaster becomes easier. Even if you believe that you would never commit a fraudulent action, the chances of this becoming a reality and running up huge debts increase tremendously, lying to your family and colleagues, disturbing your relationship with your partner and feeling stress and anxiety daily. It’s a very thin line between keeping the gambling fun and exciting and converting yourself into a compulsive gambler who can’t control his limits. But we must underline that healthy and positive gambling exists, and you need to stick to it and never let it develop into something ugly. Reply to the following questions to find out how to know if you got a problem with gambling.

Do you feel irritable or restless when you try to limit your gambling?

Let’s clarify what it means to limit your gambling. Most of the trustworthy platforms offer their players the possibility to restrict their gambling activities by using different options:

• Time - It could be a day, a week, a month, or a year if necessary. This means that if you restrict it for 24 hours, you won’t be able to log in to your account or play any game in the online casino.

• Deposit amount - you can limit your deposit amounts, and in this way, prevent going over a specific predetermined budget.

• Bet amount - similar to the above option, but if you have already deposited a lot of money into your account, you can restrict your betting amounts.

So, if you have asked yourself, “Do I have a gambling problem?” and you try to restrict your gambling activities and this causes you anxiety, you feel irritable and annoyed, it’s a perfect moment to reflect on your behaviour and feelings. Contact customer support for further assistance and information on how to proceed.

Do you lie to people about your gambling habits?

Part of our gambling test is to ask yourself if you have started lying to your loved ones because of gambling.

• Have you refused to go out with friends because you are playing?

• Did you invent an excuse not to go to dinner with your family because you wanted to gamble?

• Did you lie about where you were when you were in a land-based casino?

• Did you hurry a meeting to finish quickly to bet on the Slots?

• Has your partner mentioned to you that feels neglected lately?

• Do you sacrifice the time with your children and loved ones to gamble?

If any of the answers are yes, please wake up and realize that you are taking a dangerous path in your life. If you are reading this article, it means you are aware something is going wrong, and it’s the first step to overcoming it and continuing gambling with pleasure, to be safe and excited once again.

After losing money gambling, do you often return to it intending to make up for the loss or break even?

That is a very powerful question! The moment you lose common sense about what gambling means and how it functions, it’s the time when you need to stop and restart your brain. Playing casino games is 100% based on chance. There is no possible prediction of the outcome of the Slot machines, the Roulette, or the next card that the croupier will pull out of the deck. If you lose a lot of money and continue playing to win it back, you are falling into intense confusion.

Do you have to ask others to bail you out of financial troubles due to gambling?

Our gambling problem test has detected that most people who experience the negative side of playing casino games have asked their close ones for money due to gambling. This means that you are already crossing the line as soon as you start playing with money that you need to live with, for example, to pay your rent or mortgage, buy food or pay utility bills. When you decide to play, it has to be always with money you are willing to lose, with finances that you or your family don’t need.

Do you ever gamble when you feel anxious, sad, helpless or guilty?

Scientists have proved that gambling can bring positive emotions, the entire process of betting, waiting with excitement, and the moment of winning awakens powerful feelings due to the hormones released by your brain. So, in fact, you do feel happier. But once again, this activity can’t be the source of happiness in your life. If you find yourself playing when you are anxious, sad or guilty with the sole purpose of feeling better, then you are trying to deal with your issues by avoiding them and becoming addicted to gambling gets a lot easier.

Do you unsuccessfully try to cut back on your gambling?

If you have tried to restrict your gambling but notice it’s more complicated than expected, it’s time to turn to a specialist. Contact customer support first and explain your situation. They are trained and have information about how to help or refer you to professional help.

Do you need to gamble more and more money to feel excited?

The addiction process follows the same levels, no matter the addiction. For drug addiction, we are all aware that people start with a softer drug until it loses its effect on them, then have to switch to something stronger to have the powerful feeling of the usage once again. With gambling, it’s the same. At first, your adrenaline increases with small bets until these amounts no longer please you. If you are at this stage, you better give yourself a break.

Conclusion

So, how do you know if you have a gambling problem? Well, if you recognize yourself in any of the above scenarios, our honest advice is to quit for a bit, lower your deposits and bets, enjoy nature and the world outside, and spend more time with your family and loved ones. It’s a great idea to share your concerns with a trusted friend. If all that doesn’t help, speak with customer support or even directly with a professional specialist to avoid further negative development. We wish you good luck and hope you will stay on the positive side of gambling.

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