{"id":1090,"date":"2019-12-26T15:51:11","date_gmt":"2019-12-26T15:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asiaonlinecasinos.com\/?page_id=1090"},"modified":"2023-03-29T13:01:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T12:01:08","slug":"responsible-gambling","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.asiaonlinecasinos.com\/responsible-gambling\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Responsible Gambling"},"content":{"rendered":"
Online gambling is easily more popular than ever before. With so many alluring promotions and games out there to entice players, it is only natural that responsible gaming practices<\/strong> have come to the forefront. Long gone are the days when online casinos<\/a> couldn’t give a fig about their players’ well-being. Stricter licensing regulations and conditions have forced casinos to take better care of their players, in a bid to stamp out irresponsible gambling habits. Most of the biggest and best casinos now go above and beyond to ensure that players wager responsibly.<\/p>\n Of course, while casinos can do much to alleviate the ills of irresponsible gambling, some of that responsibly also falls on the part of the player. This starters guide looks at the tools available to players to ensure that they gamble responsibly. It looks at practices that you can put in place to ensure that you are wagering sensibly. It also looks at some tips and tricks to make sure that while your gaming activities are fun, they aren’t ruinous.<\/p>\n Let’s start with the obvious. If you’re not aware of it yet, irresponsible gambling is when a player wagers recklessly. This often means depositing and wagering without a care for their finances. It can also mean being sucked into an addiction to spending on games, particularly chasing losses to try and win back cash which was lost. There are other descriptions, too, and all these fit comfortably under the “irresponsible gaming” banner.<\/p>\n Over the last few years, major online casinos have cleaned up their act and now aim to prevent bad gambling habits via several measures. Let’s look at some of the practices currently used to promote responsible gambling.<\/p>\n Online casinos will often have their own practices and tools in place to prevent and fight irresponsible gaming. Choosing a casino which offers a great set of responsible gaming tools is the first step to playing safely online. These can include cool down periods, opt-outs, deposit and wagering limits and more. Here we take a closer look at these tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n In some countries, gambling authorities have implemented their own regulations and restrictions. These may include strict rules on what promotions and bonuses can be offered, limits to wagering requirements, the scrapping of withdrawal pending periods and more.<\/p>\n Not every country has deemed gambling to be legal. Some countries have tried to stop their nationals gambling online by implementing blocks. ISPs (internet service providers) can prevent users from accessing casinos which feature on blacklists. Speaking of blacklists…<\/p>\n Casinos which are licensed and regulated in a country are often the safest to play at, and the ones which adhere to responsible gambling practices. To highlight these casinos over “rogue casinos”, countries may require their players to only sign up to sites bearing a license issued by their own gambling commission. If a casino isn’t licensed out of the gambling commission in your country, it may not adhere to responsible gambling practices your country has deemed necessary to be in place.<\/p>\n There are, of course, lots of top offshore casinos which may cater to players in your country. Those licensed out of Malta, the UK or Gibraltar tend to adhere to responsible gambling practices.<\/p>\n It isn’t just the casinos and gambling commissions\/authorities who are doing their part to stamp out risky gambling habits. Leading casino and gambling websites are chipping in too. On this page, for instance, you will find a plethora of tips and tricks to ensure that you’re playing in the safest environment possible. We will look at these in our “How to Gamble Safely”<\/a> section later.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n As mentioned, many of the best online casinos now take their roles in promoting responsible gambling very seriously. To help players make sure that they are on the right track, these casinos now provide a wealth of tools and options. These can all be used to ensure that you stay on the straight and narrow. Let’s look at these in a little more detail and see how they can be of critical importance to you.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Any online casino which believes in responsible gambling practices will allow players to take a time out. Known as self-exclusion periods, these options will enable you to freeze yourself out of your account for a predetermined period. This may be as little as twelve hours, or as long as six months. You will often be able to choose from several periods of time. Once excluded, players will not be able to sign-in to their casino account until that period has elapsed.<\/p>\n Contacting customer support is not going to help you get back in. Larger domains can also provide individual self-exclusion options, specifically for sports betting, casino games, slots, and so on. If you realise that you have a problem with sports betting but not casino games (or vice-versa), this is a handy option to have.<\/p>\n As well as self-exclusion periods, some sites may have “cooling off periods”. These are essentially the same thing, although they will allow you to break your self-imposed exile and return to gaming before the self-exclusion period ends, provided you have stayed away during the cooling-off period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n If gambling gets too much, and you realise that you have a far bigger gambling problem than you thought, closing your account is an option. All online casinos permit players to close their accounts. Some of them will allow players to re-open them again after a predetermined timeframe has elapsed. For others, though, once you’ve terminated your account, you’re done. Therefore, you will never be able to play at the casino using that account again.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, we wouldn’t recommend closing your account for that reason. A self-exclusion period is often more than enough to give you the time out you need. Not being able to re-join the fun later down the line is a big risk and could be something you’ll regret. Always think twice before closing a casino account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n If you’ve been playing online for any length of time, you will surely be aware that many casinos are owned by the same operator. Known as sister sites, these casinos often feature the same software, same licenses and sometimes, even the same layout, bonuses and promotions. What they also often share is the same responsible gaming program. If, for instance, you were to terminate your account at one casino run by Operator X, there is every probability that you’d be locked out of any other casinos and sister sites run by that same operator.<\/p>\n There have been cases featuring some slippery rules regarding this. It has been reported that players have self-excluded themselves from one site but have been allowed to continue playing at others. However, once they landed a win at the new casino, they were unable to claim their winnings on account of them being self-excluded from the older sister site. These practices vary from site to site. When playing with operators who run several casinos, it is recommended to check that the self-exclusion program spans all the sister sites, with no exceptions.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n If you pop into the lobby of any major (and respectable) online casino, you will likely notice several logos at the bottom of the homepage. These can include GamCare<\/a>, GambleAware<\/a>, GamStop<\/a> and several others. These are responsible gaming programs. The way that they work is quite clever and important if you take self-exclusion periods seriously.<\/p>\n In theory, if you decide to self-exclude yourself from a casino which is a member of these programs, you will also be barred from joining any other casinos on the net which feature in the programs. It doesn’t matter if the other casinos are owned by the same operator or not. If they are members of the program, your self-exclusion period should apply everywhere. This can be something to keep an eye out for if you want to avoid scenarios like the one discussed concerning sister sites and related casinos<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Another essential tool in the fight against irresponsible gambling is available from the very moment you register. When you first sign up at an internet casino, you will likely be asked whether you wish to receive “marketing” from the casino via e-mail, telephone or text message. Marketing is a code word for “promotions”.<\/p>\n At first glance, you might wonder why you wouldn’t want to receive the latest news about red hot deals. However, this is where temptation comes into play. If a casino notices that you haven’t deposited for a long time, they might try and lure you back with a tantalising deposit bonus. Almost all casino bonuses come with terms and conditions, but they won’t be expressed in a big and bold font in the e-mail. Instead, they’ll be tucked away in a corner somewhere. What seems like a great deal may in fact not be.<\/p>\n Most casino promotions can be readily viewed from the promotions page at a site. By opting out of receiving “marketing” from casinos, you are removing the temptation provided by a promotion or bonus, at least via e-mail, text or phone call. Players should also note that opting out of marketing messages does not mean that they won’t receive mail from the casino. The site will still get in touch with you, albeit only about important notices such as changing terms and conditions, account details or other forms of essential communication. Addictive and tempting promos will be left out of the equation.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n One of the most critical tools now commonly found at online casinos is the deposit limit option. This can often be found under the account settings tab at an online casino. In short, the option gives players the chance to set limits on how much or how often they can deposit. Some casinos have options which give players a choice of only being able to deposit once per day, per week or per month. Others allow you to wager up to specific amounts per sitting and may or may not include time limitations to boot.<\/p>\n The height of these limits can vary from site to site. However, players will usually find a decent range to choose from. If you do decide to set a deposit limit, there is one thing you should know. You will not be able to easily shift your cap. To do so, you will need to speak to customer support, where they will likely look at your gambling history to see if you fall under the description of a problem gambler. If not, you may be able to raise your limit. If you show the signs of irresponsible gambling, your limit will not be extended.<\/p>\n It is important to make sure that you calculate how much you can afford to spend (and lose) on gambling games before setting deposit limits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Casinos can also offer players the chance to select wagering limits. Like deposit limits put a cap on how much a player can deposit into their account, wagering limits put a cap on what a player can stake on games during a given period. It is likely that this will involve stating that you are permitted to wager X during any 24-hour period, or that stakes on games cannot exceed X per spin or hand.<\/p>\n For instance:<\/strong> Players can opt to set a wagering limit of $100 per day, and they can decide that a spin can cost no more than $2 a game. They might set this limit to apply to a 24-hour period. Once $100 has been spent, you cannot bet anymore. Wagering limits are not based on profit or loss. They are based on what has been staked. So, for instance, even if you were to win big money on every single spin, you’d still be limited to $100 in wagers. It doesn’t matter if you win millions of dollars before that $100 limit is reached. Once $100 has been staked, you’re frozen out for the rest of the day, or however long you’ve decided to set the wagering limit to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n These work in much the same way as the other options, such as deposit limits. Players can choose a limit on how much they are permitted to “lose” per day. Once players have lost the amount they have set (over a day, a week or a month), they will be frozen out. Unlike the wagering limits option<\/a>, limits on losses are calculated.<\/p>\n With loss limits, the amount a player has won will be taken into consideration, and re-calculated. Therefore, limits on losses only apply to net losses. In short, you’ve already decided how “low” your balance can go, and you can keep on betting until it hits that figure.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Many of the more respectable casinos have session limits, too. If you’re not the type of casino player who is comfortable putting a number on how much you can spend, lose or bet, then session limits might be more your cup of tea.<\/p>\n With a session limit in place, players are only allowed to gamble during a set period of time. That may be an hour, two, perhaps even five hours. It is up to you to choose from the options a casino presents you with. Once you’re wagering, you have a predetermined timeframe to gamble within. Once that time limit has expired, you will be frozen out of your account until the following day.<\/p>\nAn Introduction to Responsible Gambling Practices<\/h2>\n
Casino-Based Tools<\/h3>\n
Country-Based Options<\/h3>\n
Internet-Based Blocks<\/h3>\n
Licensed and Certified Casinos<\/h3>\n
Other Responsible Gaming Practices<\/h3>\n
\nResponsible Gambling Tools and Options Offered by Online Casinos<\/h2>\n
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Self-Exclusion Periods<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nAccount Termination<\/h3>\n
Sister Sites and Related Casinos<\/h3>\n
Responsible Gaming Programs<\/h3>\n
Promotional Exemptions<\/h3>\n
Limitations on Deposits<\/h3>\n
Wagering and Bet Size Limits<\/h3>\n
Limitations on Losses<\/h3>\n
Caps on Session-Length<\/h3>\n