Online casino is a hobby that always will come with a certain risk.
However, healthy players must take the best possible precautions to play responsibly. This is to avoid gambling issues or any form of gambling addiction.
There is no exact way to play responsibly. It is simply about being aware of what gambling does to your brain and how you can detect warning signals in the early stages and take a break or stop.
This guide was created to help you detect gambling problems in their early stages and take necessary action if they occur.
Table of Contents
More about gambling addiction
A gambling addiction can vary quite a lot from a different individual. Gambling addiction can also lead to disastrous consequences for the affected player.
Normal damages caused by gambling issues are economic, social, and psychological.
We are not speaking lightly about gambling, as this is a severe problem. Zamsino is self-proclaimed the most responsible casino guide in the world.
We are on every page of our entire website across languages, referring to our responsible gaming guides.
Different types of gambling Issues
Experts use several categories to determine the severity of gambling issues. These are all explained below.
Compulsive gambling
This status of the gambling issue is the worst one. The following signs are often used to describe someone suffering from compulsive gambling disorder.
- A compulsive gambler will continue to play regardless of the economic outcome of a session; they are deeply addicted to the activity of gambling.
- They actively look for opportunities to make bets or gamble with money they know they cannot afford to lose.
- Compulsive gambling is a synonym for pathological gambling.
Binge gambling
Binge gambling is often used to describe people who show the symptoms of a compulsive gambler only during certain hours or periods.
- A binge gambler may appear not to have a problem with gambling.
- Binge gambling only truly shows when the person suffering from it starts to gamble, and in those cases, the sessions turn into compulsive gambling sessions.
Problem gambling
Problem gamblers are referred to as people in the early stage of gambling addiction.
- Problem gamblers have an unhealthy relationship with gambling.
- One thing could be that they are chasing losses by playing more than they wanted to from the beginning.
Treatment for gambling problems
Gambling issues are very hard to deal with by yourself. Some form of support is often required to get the problem under control.
So, if you are reading this feeling bad but have not gotten help yet, do not fear.
There is a way out of the misery and a healthy, peaceful mind again. It’s common for former gambling addicts to stay in gambling problem groups and meetings for a very long time, even when things are well again.
Unfortunately, gambling is heavily marketed on television and many other places, and the temptation can quickly get very hard to resist.
Below you can find a great checklist that you can use to detect signs of gambling issues.
Checklist for detecting gambling issues
- You play for more money than you planned to.
- Playing longer sessions and prioritizing gambling.
- You deposit savings.
- Getting very emotional and or upset when losing.
- Your tilted mode is affecting others around you.
- You keep playing even though you closed accounts before.
- Coming up with excuses to play online casinos.
- Borrowed money to play.
- You have a gambling debt.
If you recognise any of these behaviours above, you are in the risk zone for developing gambling issues, or you already have a serious gambling problem.
In this case, we recommend you call a helpline to talk. Find information about these further down on this page.
Help tools
If you like playing online but are gambling aware enough to know when you need to take a break healthily, there are plenty of options for this.
All of our casinos have limitation systems that allow you to easily pause or limit the deposits in your account.
Zamsino employees have all gone through officially responsible gaming training and can easily detect signs of gambling problems.
To play casino in a good manner, you should be able to lose money without getting emotionally affected. Only in this way can gambling be used as a healthy, risk-free hobby.
Need more help?
Call a helpline if you still need help or someone to talk to. They are available 24 hours a day and will assure you can get the help you need.
You can find any gambling helpline number by simply googling the gambling helpline and the country in which you live.
Stay safe out there, and thanks for reading this article.
References we used to make this article
- https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/addiction/gambling-addiction-and-problem-gambling
- https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-brain-gets-addicted-to-gambling/
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001520.htm
- https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/the-psychology-of-gambling
- https://www.gamblingsupportbc.ca/resources
Information on this page has been verified by Mandy, Reg.MBACP (Accred) gambling problem counsellor/psychotherapist & clinical supervisor.
Last updated 25/11/24 by Erik King