Taking control of your gambling is essential if you discover that it is consuming too much of your time and money or causing problems in other areas of your life. The harmful effects of gambling can be avoided, and gaming can be enjoyed in a healthy and responsible manner, if precautions are taken to regulate one’s gambling habits.
Casinos’ Attempts to Promote Responsible Gambling
You can limit the amount you deposit into your casino account on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis with the help of deposit limitations. These constraints are movable in either direction.
You can set loss limits to prevent yourself from gambling beyond a certain point if you lose more than a certain sum.
Alerts that remind you of the harsh realities of life time
You can figure out what percentage of your salary is going toward gambling by using a budget calculator.
Using “Session Limits,” you can decide how long you want to be logged in for. You will be automatically logged out of your casino account after your session timeout has passed.
Questions to ask yourself to gauge the extent to which gambling is affecting your life.
You have the option of requesting a self-exclusion from gambling with a casino for a period of at least six months. A permanent self-exclusion is a decision that cannot be undone.
Knowing What to Look For
It’s easy to get disoriented and frustrated in the gambling world because of how fast-paced and engrossing several parts are. Problems with gambling typically develop gradually over time, making it difficult to identify a problem in its early stages. While the following symptoms are among the most widely recognized indicators of a gambling problem, others may exist.
Incapable of refraining from gambling, as seen by preoccupation with it and a willingness to sacrifice other activities, such as job or school, in order to play.
If you think your luck will flip around and you can get your money back, you are chasing losses.
If you feel you need to lie to friends and family in order to keep gambling, whether it’s to cover up transactions or to cover up how much time you spend on casino sites.
Irrational behavior: if you notice sudden and perplexing shifts in your personality, mood, or level of annoyance, especially following a session of gaming.
If your finances aren’t looking great and you still want to gamble, you might borrow money from loved ones to make up for losses you won’t be able to recoup or sell valuables to finance your habit.
If gambling is your main way of dealing with stress or if you gamble to avoid thinking about the stresses in your life, you may have a problem.
What Are Some Good Alternatives to Gambling?
If you’re concerned that you may have a gambling issue, it’s crucial to find alternate strategies to deal with your feelings of isolation and frustration. Here are some beneficial substitutes for gambling:
Keep Moving!
Stress and anxiety can be alleviated with regular exercise. Joining a sports team, buying a gym membership, and taking up hobbies like biking, tennis, and rock climbing are all great ways to keep active. Stress and mental health can benefit from as little as 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Two: Expand Your Knowledge and Social Circle
Isolation and boredom are major contributors to addictive behaviors. Gambling can be avoided when one fills their time with engaging activities such as learning something new or interacting with new people. Your local library or community center, a spiritual community (if you feel at home in one), or the internet are all terrific places to start when looking for things to do.
- Do Something Different
Gambling might be exhilarating, but you might find that other books or activities are just as satisfying. Some examples of such activities are visiting a new restaurant, taking up a new hobby, volunteering at a local animal shelter or medical facility, or going on a trip.
- Practice Meditation
Meditation apps like Insight Timer (free), Balance (free for the first year), and Headspace (paid subscription after free trial) are great places to start if you’re interested in developing a mindfulness meditation practice as an alternative to gambling when you’re feeling stressed. Even if you’d rather do something more physical, yoga can still help you unwind.
- Keep a diary or journal
Writing in a journal is a great way to reflect on and make sense of your current emotions and thoughts. Take 10 minutes to write in a diary instead of gambling when you feel the urge or feel agitated attempting to resist the impulse. The temptation to gamble can be reduced if the underlying demand for stress relief is addressed first.