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We want to help educate casino customers to help them make the best decisions relating to their online casino gambling habits. So, we would request that should you need to do so, you follow the following steps to help you take control of your gambling.
If you believe that either you or someone you know may have issues with aspects of responsible gaming, then here are some things you should look out for:
*Mood swings or irrational outbursts brought on by problem gambling.
*Hiding gambling behaviours from family and friends and not being honest about how often and when you gamble.
*Borrowing money in order to gamble and get into debt.
*Gambling for extended periods of time, with no breaks and prioritising casino and gaming machines over all else.
*Gambling nearly every day.
*Chasing your losses.
*Not being able to stick to gambling limits.
*Gambling is no longer fun and is causing upset, regret, worries or distress – gambling harm is hurting your mental health.
If you can recognise any of these signs in yourself or those around you, then make sure you get help straight away.
Places To Find Information on Responsible Gaming:
- ConnexOntario — 1-866-531-2600, 24/7
- Responsible Gambling Council — responsiblegambling.org
- GameSense (BCLC and partner provinces)
- Gambling Therapy — gamblingtherapy.org
How Your Gambling Operator Can Help
As such, the best online casinos and mobile casinos put into place measures to promote responsible gaming:
Set Limits
You should be able to set limits whenever you want through your account. Through the casino website, you should be able to set specific spending limits across a set period of time. There should also be a ‘cool down’ period before you can either change or remove these limits.
Decreasing Limits
If you have placed limits on your account, then you can choose to lower these whenever you want if you feel that they are not low enough. You need to make sure that the limits you set are low enough that they will not cause you financial harm or get you into or increase any debts. You might decrease your loss limit or spend limit. Make sure that you can decrease your limits easily with your chosen casino.
Increasing Limits
You should be given a cool-down period before your increase your limits. It is vital that before you choose to increase your limits, you think about it carefully and don’t do it as a spur of the moment decision to change losses etc. A casino will not allow you to increase limits without time to think about it first.
Taking a Break
A gambling operator will allow you to take a break at any time you want to. You should be able to take a break any time you need for as long as you need. If you do opt to take a break, then you will not be able to access your casino account for that period during the break and you will not be able to place any bets through your casino account. Moreover, if you do take a break, you will not receive any promotional or marketing material to the email address registered to your account.
Removal From Promotion and Marketing Communication
If you choose to take a break from your casino account, then you will also be opting out of the promotional communications and material. This means that you are opting to no longer receive any promotional material from your casino. Moreover, most gambling hosts will allow you to unsubscribe from emails even if not on a break.
Self Exclusion
Most online gambling operators will allow you to exclude yourself from accessing and gambling from your account and claiming free slot bonuses. If you do opt to exclude yourself from the casino’s services and think that this will help you to manage your gambling better, then contact the support and request assistance. The self-exclusion process can be put into place for up to two years and more and will stop all of your gambling activities and own play at that specific casino.
Multi Casino Self Exclusion
There will also be the chance to self exclude from multi venues. Some casinos work together and so excluding yourself from one venue will also exclude you from other operators. This will stop you from excluding yourself from one casino only to sign up with another and continue playing.
Casino Responsible Gambling Responsibilities
All gambling operators in Canada have a responsibility to minimise gambling harm associated with their products. The best casinos will go beyond the standards as set out by the legislation.
When conducting their business, mobile casinos, online casinos and even Bitcoin casinos should always exhibit a sense of social responsibility, with a deep regard for the communities in which it is operational. This process is evolving and continuous as tolls and technology grow.
Responsible gaming operators should work in partnership with help and health service providers to ensure that gambling harm minimisation is as effective as possible.
Casinos should make sure they trial and implement new technology aimed at making the gambling environment safer.
They should constantly review their processes and procedures to identify ways in which their processes can be improved.
Where to Get Help in Canada
Support is free and confidential. ConnexOntario answers around the clock on 1-866-531-2600, the Responsible Gambling Council publishes self-help tools at responsiblegambling.org, and every province runs its own problem gambling line and self-exclusion programme through its lottery or gaming corporation.
Be Safe
These days, any casino licensed by a recognised regulator has to give you proper responsible gaming tools. If you do feel as though problem gambling is affecting you or someone you know, contact your casino and take the steps you feel necessary and, if necessary, contact a gambling helpline for outside counselling and help. Gambling should be fun – and when the fun stops, stop.
