What is Responsible Online Gambling?

Gambling is a favorite hobby of many these days. It is exciting, fun, and thanks to online casinos, more accessible than ever. Even players who never entered a real casino before, can easily find an online casino that will suit their needs. Still, playing in a casino and playing responsibly are two different things that should go hand in hand, in case you want to have a long and successful gambling career. Many sites list what it means to play responsibly online, but here, you can find all the information in one place.

 

What is Responsible Online Gambling?

 

Responsible gambling is a relatively new concept that came to be only with the rise of online casinos. It can be described by a number of policies, tools, features, and requirements that make sure that those who gamble on a certain website can do so in a safe and secure manner. Responsible online gambling is an important task for both the casino site and the casino user.

 

One of the main starting points of responsible gambling is understanding that gambling is a fun activity and not a full-time job, therefore it cannot and should not be considered as the main mean of generating income. It is a hobby, recreation, and fun pastime, where you should spend the amount you can risk losing.

 

And while casino punters must do their fair share of budgeting, online casino establishments are the ones who have to make sure their business approach is not causing any real harm. Licensed casinos do so by following the guidelines and laws imposed by the regulatory body. Also, software platforms that provide games, have to make sure the design and features available in the game are not harmful to the player.

 

Responsible Gambling Fights Gambling Addiction

 

If you try one of the legit online gambling sites from CasinoHEX you still have to remember, that every player who ever enters an online casino site should make sure they know what they are getting into. Still, some categories of players are more vulnerable than others. For example, there are players who are diagnosed with ludomania or gambling addiction. Such players can’t help themselves but compulsively play and bet in online casino establishments. Sometimes they gamble all their fortune, but even if they don’t, their mental health deteriorates quickly.

 

If you are prone to addiction of any kind, make sure to play in a casino that features many self-exclusion mechanisms, like deposit limits, number of games you can play in a day and the amount you can bet. There are casinos that implement delayed deposits, thus meaning that the deposited amount will be available only after 24 hours to help you avoid overspending and chasing losses, while others will send you a notification that you are spending too much time in the casino and should log out. Players are also encouraged to keep track of their wins and losses and to try to evaluate all the factors that caused them to lose, like emotional distress, not paying attention, playing on multiple screens, etc.

 

Another group that is extremely vulnerable are minors. Underage gambling is prohibited in all respected online establishments, but teenagers often find a way to surpass the limitations imposed on them. Teen gambling is becoming a huge problem, as they tend to place their bets in unregulated establishments who will accept customers without a prior check. Serious casino businesses will request an ID or a passport so they can validate whether the person playing is really 18 or 21 (depending on the casino), but crooked casinos won’t care.

 

Responsible gaming also includes responsible marketing. During the corona pandemic, we have witnessed some casinos being advertised as “corona free” or offering “betting on corona”, while others aggressively encouraged users to deposit as much as they can so they can walk out of quarantine as winners. It is not even necessary to say how unethical marketing is dangerous and usually practiced by unregulated casinos. Such casinos also offer unrealistic bonus packages as an incentive to keep the player around even though the wagering requirement of such a bonus is impossible to reach.

 

Safe Money Transactions and Personal Information Online

 

Another aspect of responsible gambling is that of the private and often delicate information that is being handled by the online casino venue. Regulated casinos will require at least a document with a picture (ID or passport), utility bill and a copy of the credit card according to the instruction on their website. There is not a human being in this world that would allow these documents to come in the wrong hands. Still, it happens that bad casinos mismanage players’ personal information or simply get hacked and data gets stolen.

 

Unlike them, licensed online casinos implement different strategies, safety protocols, and special rules when it comes to who can ask for your identity verification, when and in what way. They usually state it publicly in their terms and conditions and encourage players to know their rights.

 

Great concern among players in online casinos safety and responsible gaming is the safety of money transactions. As we all know, it takes money to win money, and players must make a deposit before their first game, so safe money transactions are imperative. It is usually recommended that players use renowned payment methods and avoid those that seem too good to be true. Also, they are encouraged to use local payment methods as they tend to be less prone to hackers attacks. Responsible gambling includes a careful approach towards transactions from all sides, both the casino platform and the casino user. Users must make sure they use safe computers that are not in the public domain. They should also never share their account information and keep their winnings as discreet as possible, without bragging to friends. Another great piece of advice for responsible gambling is using only your private data plan or safe wi-fi when gambling and avoiding public wi-fi networks like those on the streets or in cafes.