Responsible Gaming: What You Need to Know

Responsible gaming is a term that most players might not actively observe whenever they’re playing games that requires betting. When playing online casino games, or any type of game that involves betting or wagers, you can easily get lost in between spins and played hands. If you’re not careful, eventually you might see yourself betting and playing to earn your losses more, rather than enjoying the once-entertaining casino game you’re now obsessed to win against.

This is where responsible gaming comes in. When you feel like you’re not having fun with the casino game you’re playing, you might want to step back and assess what’s been happening to help you get back on track and reduce the chances of landing in riskier situations.

But what exactly is responsible gaming? Here is a brief rundown to help you understand what it is, and how you can apply such a practice to ensure your gambling experience remains safe and enjoyable.

What is Responsible Gaming?

Responsible gaming is the practice or mindset of gambling in a way that minimizes the potential negative effects it can have on individuals and society. This includes recognizing and managing the risks associated with gambling, as well as promoting safe and healthy gambling practices. Responsible gaming is also used to remind individuals that gambling is a form of entertainment, and to prevent people who shouldn’t be gambling — such as minors and other prohibited players — from participating.

Key Principles of Responsible Gaming

Responsible gaming has key principles that serve as guidelines you can use to ensure you won’t develop unwanted gambling-related habits and disorders. Here are some of the key principles:

1. Play for fun – gambling is a form of entertainment, first and foremost. You should be enjoying what you are playing and not take losses too hard, since like with any other game, there are winners and losers. Some times you win, other times you lose. That’s part of it.
2. Make sure the game does not affect your work or family environment – gambling can be addictive, since the rush you get at the chance of winning big payouts is always there. However, you need to be aware that you shouldn’t make playing casino games the be-all-end-all activity you will lose time and sleep over. If you have responsibilities at work or family, always remember they are first priority, gambling should only be a hobby.
3. Set a gaming budget and betting limit for yourself when playing – given that gambling requires you to wager varying amounts to play, it is essential that you determine and set aside how much money you should be spending, and more importantly, sticking to it. You of all people know what your financial situation is, and if your bank account does not have the capacity to let you bet big, it is best to limit your bets or not play entirely.
4. Establish game times and do not exceed them – Given that you can search for casino games online conveniently through your devices, you can get carried away and spend way too much time playing your slot, table, or card game. Always remember to make your well-being a top priority: set a time during your day when you will play, and uphold it as best as you can. Doing so will lessen you chances of developing negative gambling habits.
5. Do not continue gambling to try to win back losses – Gambling is a game of chance, and as such there is always going to be a winner and a loser. When you’re gambling and are losing more spins or hands than you are winning, it is best to step away after a round and check whether it’s still worth playing. In most cases, it’s best to call it a night and stop playing when you’re not landing winning payouts, since trying to win back your losses usually results with you losing even more of your hard-earned money.
6. The game should not cause stress or anxiety but serve only as a form of entertainment – this circles back to the first principle. When you gamble, you should do so to relieve stress and lets you relax. While winning money is a nice feeling, it shouldn’t be too attached whenever you’re on the losing end. Winning and losing is all part of the game, and if you’re not in the mood to deal with losses.

What’s the Role of Casinos?

Apart from players doing their due diligence and observing proper gaming and gambling etiquette, casinos and other gambling establishments also practice responsible gaming by implementing a variety of measures designed to minimize the potential negative impacts of gambling on individuals and society. Gambling operators provide the gambling environment for their players, so they need to promote a healthy one to ensure their player base do not develop problem gambling tendencies.

Here are a few examples of how casinos can practice responsible gaming:

1. Implementing responsible gambling policies and programs: Many casinos have responsible gambling policies in place that outline their commitment to promoting safe and healthy gambling practices. Self-exclusion programs, for example, is one such initiative: conventional and online casino operators let individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from gaining access to their casinos once they exhibit problematic gambling tendencies. Once casino operators have profiled that individual and deemed them as having problem gambling symptoms, they would implement the self-exclusion protocols on that player. On top of this, casino operators should also provide information and resources to help patrons practice responsible gambling.
2. Providing training for employees: Employees in casinos should have responsible gambling training. This is to help employees to recognize the signs of problem gambling and to assist patrons who may be experiencing gambling-related problems.
3. Implementing responsible advertising practices: Casino advertisements’ effectiveness rely on enticing players to register and play on their casino games. Given that most online casinos provide players with even more access to a myriad of casino games through their devices, casinos should ensure that their advertising and marketing efforts are conducted in a responsible manner and do not target vulnerable populations or promote irresponsible gambling behaviors.
4. Implementing measures to prevent under-age gambling: One of the more susceptible demographic when it comes to developing problematic gambling behavior are underaged players who manage to infiltrate casinos and play casino games even if they are below the age limit. Conventional and online casino operators should have strict policies and protocols in place to prevent under-age gambling from happening. This includes verifying the age of patrons and using identification scanners to prevent the use of fake IDs.
5. Support research and education about responsible gaming: Casinos can also show their support by promoting responsible gaming initiatives. This includes having research and education efforts related to responsible gambling, such as by funding research studies or partnering with organizations that focus on responsible gambling issues that are readily available for public consumption on their premises or websites.

Responsible gaming involves both the drive of individuals to observe proper gaming etiquette and practicing it during their gaming sessions in either traditional or online casinos, and the casinos themselves that should have a gaming environment that promotes a healthy gaming experience. Both need to work together to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming atmosphere for players and casino operators.