How to gamble responsibly and avoid addiction

Every one of us has our guilty pleasures we love to indulge in. Taking a little liberty is a lot of what makes life worth living. But any indulgence can be taken to the extreme and that certainly isThere are occasions when we here at ReadyBetGo want to bring you interesting facts about the gambling industry  When something catches our eye, we will publish it for your enjoyment. 
  true about gambling. While people are risking some of their bankroll dreaming of a big break in instant games like Aviator online game, it’s easy to take it way too far, impacting not only them but their loved ones. Gambling addiction is real. That’s why it’s essential to know one’s limits and understand the risks involved. So without further ado, today we are going to address an important topic – how to gamble responsibly.

Understanding responsible gambling

It’s crucial to take the extremities of gambling addiction seriously and start out with certain rules and lines that can never be crossed so that casino games can remain a joyful hobby rather than a life-destroying vice. Here are some things to be conscious about whenever you’re playing for money:

1. Set limits for yourself: make sure you determine a limited budget that you can use for gambling. This amount that you declare must not be any higher than ⅓ of your disposable income. Also, make sure not to use more than 5% of that in any given round you’re playing in to extend your playing time and give yourself more opportunities to win.
2. Understand the odds: while it’s everybody’s right to dream, it’s also strategic to increase your chances of winning. And by far the most likely way to accomplish that is by betting incrementally rather than throwing in the farm right away. Always be conscious of which games offer the best RTP (the highest proportion of players’ deposits being paid back in winnings) and house edge. This can help adjust your expectations to a healthy level.
3. Treat gambling as entertainment: it’s essential to see gambling for what it is – a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. It’s a fun activity where the money spent is the cost of entertainment. That keeps it enjoyable and prevents it from becoming a burden.
4. Keep your cool: never make decisions based on heated emotions. As soon as you do that is when things start to go off the rails. Stick to whatever plan you came to the casino with and if you maintain your pre-conceived strategy, you’re much more likely to manage risk successfully.

Recognize the signs of gambling addiction

Being aware of the signs of compulsive gambling will help players later in detecting early when they might be plunging into the same condition so they can exit out of it early. 

Here are some common signs:

• Chasing losses: the sunk cost fallacy is a notorious curse that rears its ugly head in a lot of different endeavors. When we’ve already invested a lot of money into something, we feel attached to it, and we can become persistent about getting something back out of it. People often look at their unsuccessful businesses and problematic cars that way.
• Overspending time and money: time is important as well because people may be taking time off work. Other areas of people’s lives being affected is a sign they’ve lost control. This may drag on for long periods of time while other responsibilities are neglected as well, such as missing family events and forgoing social obligations.
• Preoccupation with gambling: if one spends a significant amount of time thinking about gambling, planning their next gambling activity, or fantasizing about winning, this could suggest a growing obsession.
• Increased risk-taking: people progressively place higher bets sometimes. This is a sign that their emotions are getting the best of them.
• Irritability and anxiety: people get uneasy and unhappy when they’re not able to gamble, especially if they’re trying to stop.
• Lying: people playing in secret, often motivated by the desire to avoid confrontation or criticism.
• Borrowing or stealing money: people can resort to taking money from others, an extreme sign of the lengths they’re willing to go to.
• Denial: this is one of the biggest barriers to overcoming addiction. A lot of people believe they can stop whenever they want. Because of such delusions, people don’t end up seeking help or taking steps to regain control of their lives. By accepting reality, people can take proactive steps and get treatment.

Psychological factors behind gambling addiction

There is a whole host of psychological mechanisms that may plague gambling addicts’ psychology. Here are some of the common ones:

• Dopamine hits: winning, even occasionally, creates a surge of dopamine, producing a high that the brain starts to crave.
• Near misses: many games are designed to create these, where people think they are “this close” to winning, which can trigger a similar dopamine hit in some people as if they’ve won, thinking that next time they are more likely to finally win. 
• Intermittent reinforcement: this is the most powerful reinforcement schedule, which was proven in the experiment by B.F. Skinner, in which a rate pushed a lever for food and was rewarded on an intermittent basis.
• The gambler’s fallacy: many people think that if they haven’t won for a while they are “due” a win.
• Escaping from reality: a lot of people sometimes just want to run from the various pressures of their real lives and gambling is their outlet to make them forget them. 
• The dream of the big win: a lot of people choose to live in a dream world. In reality, their chances of winning a big jackpot are quite low, yet they choose to pursue the impractical strategy of betting the farm or just continuing gambling for too long. People have a greater chance of being attacked by wild animals than winning the state lotto, yet millions continue to participate in it anyway.

Self-exclusion and support tools

Many casinos, both land-based and online, are required to offer self-exclusion tools that allow you to limit your gambling activity. These are a powerful way to help you take control and prevent you from going overboard. Such resources establish limits you can make on your deposits, losses, or playtime. You can arrange this with certain casinos. Your friends, recovery groups, and psychologists can also help you psychologically walk away from a destructive gambling addiction.

Healthy solutions include:

• Shifting enthusiasm to alternative outlets: including exercising, reading, sports, spending time with loved ones, automobiles, languages, traveling, or any other hobbies;
• Regular check-ins: share your budget, limits, and interactions with others. Allow them to provide you feedback, encouragement, and support to keep you on the right track.
• Set personal boundaries: some people’s gambling addictions are encouraged by other gambling addicts we know. It may be helpful to distance yourself from those people for a while and spend that time with support networks, online forums, and people who may help you recover instead. 
• Establish gambling-free areas: set rules that you’re not allowed to gamble online in certain areas of your home. Keep your devices out of those areas.
• Keep a journal: this way, you can track your tendencies and negative habits.

Some casinos are required to communicate the risks associated with gambling, including the odds of games, potential losses, and the dangers of addiction. This must be readily available and prominently displayed. Many jurisdictions also require online casinos to contribute financially to responsible gambling initiatives – from gambling addiction research to helplines to treatment programs to public awareness campaigns.