Betting on sports or in casinos can be an exciting past time – and it is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. But there are issues surrounding gambling that need to be addressed and anyone looking to start betting in any shape or form should know all the facts before they begin.
Adrenaline rush
The excitement and thrill experienced when a bet comes in is a major reason why so many people enjoy gambling but there is obviously risks involved with betting and people need to know how to gamble responsibly and safely. Betting should not be a problem in people’s lives but some gamblers do experience financial, social and health issues due to their betting.
Bookmakers’ responsibility
Although gambling addiction is a worldwide problem the vast majority of people who bet online and offline are able to do so in a way that doesn’t affect other areas of their life. But there are some people who are not so lucky and their lives – and the lives of their loved ones – can be seriously compromised.
To give the bookmakers credit, they see themselves as part of the solution to problem gambling and you will be able to see on almost every betting site a section detailing what measures that bookie has in place to help any of their customers who are finding betting more of a problem than an enjoyable pursuit.
Gradual problem
One problem with the reporting of gambling addiction is that it is sometimes seen as a black and white issue – you are either a full blown uncontrollable addict or not. Online betting sites tend to have gradual help programmes in place so that any of their customers can start addressing their issues as early as possible and before anything too serious happens.
Measures put in place by the sites involve timeouts, self-exclusions and checks so customers can see how much time and money they are spending gambling. There are also contact numbers and websites listed so people can talk to someone if they are worried about a friend or family member.
Make it fun
At the very basic level of gambling, the risk is that you will lose your stake if you do not win your bet. But once that gets out of control it can be very hard for individuals to stop without help.
Some good advice when it comes to gambling is:
- Ensure that you know how long you spend on betting sites and how much money you are spending
- Betting should not be thought of as a way to make money – but an enjoyable and exciting thing to do
- An old adage is that you should only bet what you can afford to lose. If you stick by that you should have no problem
- Once it stops being fun, you should stop betting. Placing further bets to try to make up for your losses is never a good idea