This year Safer Gambling Week runs from Monday 18th to Sunday 24th November, with the intention to educate bettors around the importance of responsible gambling.
Here at GG we fully support the initiative and have pulled some information together about how people can evaluate whether they are betting safely and the tools offered by bookmakers to help you to stay in control of your gambling.
Have I got a gambling problem?
There are a number of questions you can ask yourself to evaluate whether you have a problem with your gambling. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should take a step back and decide whether you need to access some help. There are a number of organisations listed below who specialise in gambling related problems.
- Do you gamble alone perhaps avoiding other activities to do so?
- Have you needed to increase stakes to get more excitement out of your gambling?
- Have you suffered agitation, irritability or mood swings when not gambling?
- Do you gamble to escape other issues or problems in your life?
- Do you ever claim to be winning when you are actually losing?
- Have you previously tried to reduce gambling spend unsuccessful?
- Have you ever been tempted to commit an act of dishonesty to support your gambling?
- Have you ever gambled to win back losses?
- Do you ever hide your gambling from important people in your life?
- Have you borrowed money or been in debt due to gambling?
- Have you sold anything to pay for your gambling?
- Have you broken promises to anyone to spend more time gambling?
Tools to help you to stay in control
Bookmakers offer a number of different tools designed specifically to help you to stay in control of your gambling. Find out more on your bookmaker’s website.
- Set reality checks to help you manage the amount of time you spend gambling.
- Set deposit limits in line with your gambling budget Only spend what you can afford to lose..
- View your history including transactions, deposits and withdrawals.
- Take a break from betting for anything from 24 hours to 6 weeks.
- Self exclude yourself completely from betting for anything from six months to five years.
- Set autoplay controls if you play games using an auto-play feature.
If you think you have a problem and want to stop gambling, please contact one of these specialist organisations:
GamCare
www.gamcare.org.uk
0808 8020 133
Gamblers Anonymous
www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
GambleAware
www.gambleaware.co.uk
0808 8020 133
National Problem Gambling Clinic
www.cnwl.nhs.uk
0800 0234 650
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