Keeping A Check On Your gambling
Playing games on casino sites and placing bets should be fun and you should enjoy every aspect of it. However, if your tendency to gamble and bet gets out of control and you find yourself borrowing money in order to play games, and spending sums of money you simply cannot afford and you should be using for something else, can equate to problems for yourself and for your family and loved ones.
Make limits on deposits
One way to help keep abreast of your gambling habits is to set limits on the amount of money you deposit into your casino account. These limits could be daily, they could be weekly, or even monthly, depending on what you can afford and which works best for you. Depending on what site you use, limits can sometimes be set by visiting ‘Responsible Gambling’ on the ‘My Account’ page.
Asking yourself whether you are still in control
If you are concerned that your gambling habits are becoming out of control, you should ask yourself the following:
Has anyone condemned your betting and gambling habits?
Do you ever tell fibs in order to cover up the amount of time or money you are devoting to gambling?
When you experience disappointments or have arguments with loved ones, does it make you want to gamble?
Are your gambling periods lengthy and stretch for longer than they should?
Do you find yourself taking time off work, school or college in order to gamble?
Is your unhappiness or boredom resulting in you gambling?
Do you feel unwilling to spend money on other things which could be spent on gambling?
Does your family, former hobbies you used to enjoy and friends no longer interest you?
Are you constantly trying to chase losses and following a loss feel you must ‘fight back’ in order to win?
If you have no money left when you have gambled, do you feel hopeless and determined to gamble as soon as you can in order to try and get some money back?
Have you ever gambled away the last of your pennies?
Has your gambling habits caused you to borrow, steal or lie in order to either pay off your debts or gamble some more?
Is your gambling making you feel depressed or suicidal?
If you can relate any of these situations to your own, you should look to get help in order to take control of your gambling habits and lead a gambling-free life.
Seeking help for gambling
There are numerous groups and organisations that are dedicated to helping people who feel their gambling is getting out of control, overcome their problems. Your local community centre or even General Practitioner may be able to refer you to a relevant gambling help group.
Some of these organisations include:
Gamblers Anonymous
Gabrielle Pickard