Responsible Gambling 

The biggest risk of gambling is to develop a gambling disorder, which involves repeated problematic gambling behaviour that causes significant problems or distress. This is also called gambling addiction or compulsive gambling. For some people gambling becomes an addiction, and the effects they get from gambling are very similar to the effects that someone with alcoholism gets from alcohol. They can crave gambling the way someone craves alcohol or other substances.

Compulsive gambling can also lead to problems with finances, relationships and work, not to mention potential legal issues when gambling for money that is not theirs to lose. Most people with a gambling disorder are often ashamed and deceitful about their problem gambling, which in turn results in that they may lie to family members and others to cover up their behaviour and may turn to others for help with financial problems. Some problem gamblers are seeking the thrill or excitement that comes from gambling, while others are looking more for a way to escape reality or numbing certain emotions or stress.

Gambling is not a way to make money, and it is not something that you should spend more money on than you really can afford to lose. There is a reason why gambling has been around for thousands of years, maybe even as far back as humanity itself. Us humans are always looking for something to make us feel good or be excited about, and gambling often ticks all of these boxes. However, looking at gambling as a way to make money, or that playing at an online casino can solve your financial problems, is not a good idea at all. Casinos are made to make money in the long run, and all the games are programmed in a way to make you feel like you are close to a big win, or to keep you playing after you have won, so that the casino eventually can cash in their earnings. You will ALWAYS lose money in the long run, and it can have severe negative effects on your financial situation, if you keep chasing losses or gamble for more than you can afford to lose.

One of the problems when gambling too much is that you spend valuable time looking at a screen, while your brain is exposed to impulses and fuelling you with different hormones that make you feel excited and time flies by. There are so many things that could be done instead of gambling, like just taking a walk outside and breathing in the fresh air, starting your own projects or exploring a new hobby. Spend time with your family, friends or just watch a movie. Spending too much time on gambling is never a good idea, and it will never make you feel good in the end. We only have a set amount of time on this earth, and it is crucial that you spend your time wisely. 

The DSM-5 states that a person must show or experience at least four of the following during the past 12 months:

1. Need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to feel excitement
2. Restlessness or irritability when trying to stop gambling
3. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop, control, or reduce gambling
4. Thinking often about gambling and making plans to gamble
5. Gambling when feeling distressed
6. Returning to gamble again after losing money
7. Lying to conceal gambling activities
8. Experiencing relationship or work problems due to gambling
9. Depending on others for money to spend on gambling

• Depression, anxiety conditions, or personality disorders.
• Other addictions, such as drugs or alcohol.
• The use of certain medications, for example, anti-psychotic medications, and dopamine agonists.
• Gender, as it is more likely to affect men than women.
  
• If you have tendencies to one addiction, studies suggest that you could be more at risk to develop gambling addiction. Genetic and Neurological factors might also play a role in how you gamble. Some people who are affected negatively by gambling may also have a problem with alcohol or drugs, which could be due to a predisposition for addiction.

• Retirement
• Traumatic circumstances
• Job-related stress
• Emotional upheaval, such as depression or anxiety
• Loneliness
• The presence of other addictions
• Environmental factors, such as friends or available opportunities
• Use of some medications that can increase compulsive gambling

Secondary addictions can also occur in an effort to reduce the negative feelings created by the gambling addiction. However, some people who gamble never experience any other addiction.

This tool allows you to limit the amount of money you are able to deposit into your account on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. If you reach the specified limit, you will be unable to add any more funds until the required time has elapsed. This is a useful tool if you feel that you are spending more money on gambling than you intend to. In general we believe setting a Deposit Limit when signing up to a new casino is the first thing you should do, and if you have accounts on several casinos, set the limits accordingly and based on your budget.

Loss Limit is a way to ensure that you do not lose more than you intended while gambling. You can choose a loss limit at any time, and at any licensed casino, and enables you to limit the amount of money that you are able to lose on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. If you reach the specified limit, you will not be able to continue to play, directly limiting the amount you are able to lose. This is a useful tool if you feel that you are losing more money than you can afford. Note that if you are winning at a casino, this limit will not take effect until you are losing money again. Thus it can be worth thinking about that if you have a monthly limit set, but not a weekly or daily one, your winnings from the previous day can suddenly be lost quickly, since your winnings will be accumulated against the monthly total. An example would be that you have lost €200 when you are in the middle of the month, and your loss limit is set to €250 per month. Then you win €500 the following day and decide to withdraw the €500 which would put you in a €300 profit for that month. Now if you do not have a daily or weekly limit set, or any limits set to deposits, you could then be able to deposit those €500, and an additional €50 more for the rest of the month, without your loss limit kicking in.

This is a limit to ensure that you do not wager more money than you should. This can be tricky to assess accurately, as it will limit the amount you are allowed to wager, meaning that even though you are winning and making a profit, this limit will kick in as soon as the wagered amount hits the limit set. You can set the limit to how much you are able to wager on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Once the total amount you have wagered reaches the limit, you will not be able to continue wagering. This is a great tool to help protect any winnings you would have made and give you the time to withdraw your funds successfully.

When entering a Session Limit you can set your limit for how long you want to be able to play. You can choose the amount of hours you should be able to play on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This is a great way to ensure that you do not spend too much time on gambling, but as we have pointed out before, if you hold accounts with multiple casinos, take all of them into account when setting these limits. You are normally notified with a pop-up or warning before your session time limit is reached, and then you will be automatically logged out when the time is up. We believe it is crucial that you keep track of how much you are gambling, both in terms of money spent, but also time invested, which is why we encourage all who gamble to keep tabs on their gambling history, as this could protect you against getting carried away.

This tool is often called a Reality Check, and licensed casinos are obligated to enforce such a Time Alert at least every 60 minutes. You should also be able to set this timer to a lower setting, for example every 15 minutes or 30 minutes. For most markets you are able to remove such a Reality Check if you want to, but we recommend that you always keep at least the hourly notification on, so that you can keep better track of how much time you have spent gambling. When you are informed about your time spent gambling in your current session, you should be informed with the amount won or lost during that period of time. We also understand that 60 minutes can be a long time to gamble for many, and if that is the case for you we recommend reducing the Time Alert to 15 or 30 minutes instead. This tool will help you to keep track of time, and will alert you periodically, informing you about the length of your gaming sessions. The alert will also contain information about any changes in your balance, allowing you to take an informed decision on whether or not you would like to continue gambling.

As soon as you feel like you need a break from gambling, we strongly encourage you to do so! This tool allows you to pause your account for a period of time of your choosing. This can normally be done from the website profile page or by contacting the casinos Customer Support team. This is a tool that is meant to keep you away from online gambling for shorter amounts of time, but can be very beneficial if you are under the influence, stressed or feeling that you start chasing losses. However, if you feel like gambling is becoming a concern, worry or a financial problem, we recommend you to look at the Close Account tool below.

Closing your account is also often called Self Exclusion. This tool allows you to close your account for a period of time of your choosing. This can be done from the website profile page or by contacting the casinos Customer Support team. You can choose to exclude yourself from playing for one day, one week, one month, several months or even permanently exclude your account. If you ever feel like gambling is not fun anymore, and has become either a psychological burden, financial burden, or if important things in life are being skipped to gamble, we recommend that you close your casino accounts permanently. It is important to note that when you block your account for a period of time. Once your account is blocked it cannot be opened again before the end of the exclusion period, or in some countries you will have a cool-off period of between 24 hours and 72 hours before your account is reactivated. If you ever show signs of gambling addiction or problem gambling, meaning that you express such concerns to the customer support of any licensed casino, they are obligated to take action, and in most cases they will block your account without any possibility to reopen that account again. There are also countries that have national registers for exclusion, like in Sweden where you can block your social security number through Spelpaus.se, and you will then be automatically blocked across all licensed casino operators. We strongly recommend that you only play on reputable online casinos that hold strong licenses, as these online casinos will have stronger obligations to keep you as a player safe, unlike many unlicensed casinos that do not care about your well-being at all.

With their motto: “If gambling’s on your mind, we’re here to help”, they offer free, confidential help and support to anyone who’s worried about their own or someone else’s gambling. You can chat with them 24/7 all year round. They offer help with the following:

Want to feel more in control with your gambling?

Gambling Blocking Software

Help with budgeting and spending control

And much, much more. If you feel like your own gambling or the gambling of someone you care about is getting out of control, reach out to one of the help organisations right away, you have everything to gain from it. 

GamCare offers phone support and Live Chat 24/7 all year round. They also have specialised in group therapy and chats, as well as a very helpful forum if you feel like you just want to read a bit of the advice from hundreds, if not thousands of other people that have struggled with problem gambling, and are now either recovering or have fully recovered. There is always help to get, and you can get help today. If there is any indications that you or someone you love might be suffering from gambling addiction, then you should get in touch with GamCare today.

No matter where you are from there is always help to get with problematic gambling. We guide you through the best options for your country, and show you how you can get help with controlling your gambling. Click any of the flags below to find the best organisation that will help you with gambling addiction or self assessments within your country.

There are many different ways to block yourself from gambling, and blocking software is something that can be downloaded on to your device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) that limits access to gambling websites or other gambling activities that are available over the internet. There are generally two types of blocking software available:

1. Gambling-specific blocking software which is designed to block gambling sites specifically.
2. General blocking software which is designed to block a range of websites, and can be used to set permissions or parental controls.
   Some devices, banks and internet service providers also allow users to set restrictions without needing to download software, but you will have to contact your retailer, internet service provider or bank directly to enforce such measures.

Naturally we want you to get all the information you need here, but it is important that you also do your own research, to find out which is the best product for you. Some blocking software is free, but some do include a charge. Bacon.bet cannot be held responsible if there is a problem with the software you choose. We are not endorsing any of these products, but only try to show you what is available to help you going forward.

Here are some examples of gambling blocking software that could be helpful to you or loved ones with a gambling problem:

• gamban.com
• betfilter.com

Please be aware that the some of these tools might come at a cost, and that you need to do your own research to find what suits you best.

With all of the measures above, ensuring that you are blocked through your devices, bank or internet provider, there might still be loopholes that you would try to get through when you suddenly feel a urge to gamble. So make sure that you contact every single casino that you have an account with and tell them that you have a gambling problem, and that you want your account closed. If these are reputable casinos, holding strong licenses, they will then quickly reach out to you and give you further assistance on how to stop gambling.

Tell someone close to you that you have stopped gambling and do not be ashamed about it. Coming forward with a problem and showing that you are willing to do something about it is a really great thing to do. This shows people around you that you trust them, that you want to change and that you are willing to expose something very personal to get better. This will also help you in the long run, as people around you can help you battle against withdrawal symptoms, or pull you out of a bad spot if you suddenly feel the urge to gamble again.

• Seek support, for example, through self-help groups or any of the organisations listed on this page.
• Recognise the person’s good qualities and avoid excluding them from family life.
• Remain calm when discussing gambling with the individual and refrain from preaching, lecturing, or getting angry.
• Be open about the problem, including with children, as there is no shame in getting help.
• Understand that treatment is necessary and can be time-consuming.
• Set boundaries regarding family finances and avoid paying off the individual’s gambling debts

Underage gambling is something which all online casinos should take very seriously. Most countries prohibit any gambling by individuals under the age of 18, and if you are aware of a minor who is gambling online, we would strongly encourage you to intervene. We urge you to intervene not only because underage gambling is illegal, but also because exposure to gambling at a young age may put the minor at serious risk of developing a gambling addiction later on in life.

If the underage person is your child or someone in your family, you should implement PCM's or Parental Control Measures. These are software's that will allow you as parents to restrict your children's access to online casinos, and will help combat the issue directly on their mobile or computer. Examples of such an organisation that offers Parental Control Measures is NetNanny. If you know which casino or site the under aged person is gambling on, let the casino know right away! The casino operator is obligated to stop the playing on that account until it is verified that the player is in fact underage.

Whether it is yourself that have a problem with gambling or if there is something around you that you feel is in the need of help combating their gambling addiction, do not be afraid to talk about it. Often it will be very helpful to both you and the people around you, that you are talking openly about the situation. Not being alone with something, is a key part of getting better, and showing that we understand that someone needs help, or that we need help ourselves, will make people around you respect you and feel safer. It is however extremely important not to preach or lecture someone that you might suspect has a gambling problem, and always remain calm when talking about the subject. This is also something that you can start off with talking about if you want to reveal to someone close to you that you have a gambling problem as well. Ask them to be understanding and to listen to what you have to say, this will greatly increase the chances of successfully getting through the problematic gambling and getting the help that you or others need.