FreeBets Responsible Gambling Page
Here at FreeBets, it’s our job to inform our faithful readers about the best online casino and betting deals in the UK, including the best bonuses and platforms to wager on. However, we feel it’s our duty to always remind you to gamble responsibly. It’s a numbers game, really — research conducted by the government has proven that more than 0.5% of the total adult population in the UK has a gambling problem, and that’s just the start of it.
Stats get even worse when you realise that more than 3.7% of UK adults have problems with high-risk gambling. Plus, more than 0.7% of adults report that other people’s gambling habits directly affect their lives. Betting and gambling online should be a fun way for punters and pokie enthusiasts to spend some time enjoying their hobby. It should only be for fun — nothing more and nothing less.
At FreeBets, we think you have a right to know about responsible gambling tools and tips on keeping your game within affordable limits. That’s why we’ll guide you through it to help you understand the magnitude of hte situation and how easy it is to slip and find yourself in a gambling issue.
How to Identify Problem Gambling?
Problem gambling is identified as a state where you’d be starting to wager more than you can afford to lose. However, it’s just the starting phase, and you’ll find yourself betting or gambling only to recover your losses sooner or later.
It’s simply inevitable — when online betting grows from being a part-time hobby to a full-time obsession, you’ll find yourself in an altered state of mind. Research has shown that gambling is more addictive than some illegal drugs and alcohol combined. It’s easy to get misled into thinking you’ll win big. You know how the famous saying goes — 99% of gamblers lose everything before they hit it big.
To prevent you from even thinking about stepping over the line, we’ll help you understand the necessary steps to take before you place a single penny on your bet slip.
Signs and Stages of Gambling Issues
Before we get to some truly helpful tips, let’s first discuss the main phases and signs of problem gambling. The truth is that you may not even realise you are dealing with a gambling issue at hand before it’s too late.
While you are “in the game”, everything seems surreal, and you might start wagering way more than you can afford, thinking you’ll eventually hit it big and get it all back. The reality check usually comes sooner than later, and you might find yourself losing it all. Here’s how you can recognise someone close to you or even yourself beginning to struggle with problem gambling:
- You can’t stick to your bankroll limits anymore.
- You are tempted to borrow money to bet or gamble.
- It grows into an obsession, and you spend your day thinking about how you can win.
- A desire to reclaim your losses shows up as soon as you are over with the session.
- Not being able to determine a limit or stop gambling on your own.
- Being at risk of spending money for something else on gambling.
It all starts with winning, and we’ve all been there eventually. You hit it big at high odds or hit a good bonus on an online slot. It’s all the same — you can easily get hooked and drawn into the losing phase. From there, you need to have your goals sorted out; otherwise, it could easily transition into the desperation phase or the hopeless phase.
Steps to Take For Ensuring Responsible Gambling
Now that you know what it looks like to be drawn into a gambling issue, you can take appropriate measures to prevent that. That’s why our expert team at FreeBets is dedicated to searching for casinos and online sportsbooks in the UK that feature responsible gambling tools.
There are also ways of self-restraining yourself without even using the tools, and it takes a lot of discipline to do so. With all that in mind, these are the main ways of ensuring responsible gambling:
- Use Responsible Gambling Tools
The easiest method of gambling problem prevention is by using on-site responsible gambling tools. All of our recommended betting and gambling sites in the UK feature these tools in accordance with the UK Gambling Commission and the Responsible Gambling Council. Here’s an example of tools you might find in a UK casino or sportsbook:
- Deposit limits
- Betting limits
- Time limits
- Self-exclusion
As you can probably tell, limits are set to keep you from going over the line, and they are set by you personally. You can contact customer support at a casino or a betting site and inquire about setting deposit limits or limit yourself in terms of bets placed and their value.
So, when you reach a certain betting limit, your account simply won’t let you make another bet. Time limits are also good as they allow you to take cooling periods to recoup, which is always helpful as it lets your mind rest from gambling or betting.
Once again, you can set these up in collaboration with the operator. Last but not least, self-exclusion is more like a last resort option for those already in danger of developing a gambling problem. You can work with the site to block your account and ban yourself from playing on the site for a period of 6 months to 3 years, or sometimes even longer.
- Set The Betting Limits Yourself
If you are disciplined enough, you can also set these limits yourself without having to make the casino actually limit or ban your account. You can simply come up with a maximum deposit you are willing to make and set your bankroll to a certain amount.
That’s it — anytime you feel tempted to go over the line, you’ll have these limits in front of you, and you simply won’t be able to pass that line because of the lack of playing funds. Using a voucher to deposit is perfect for this matter. It allows you only to wager a certain amount, and after that, you simply have no way of depositing more money to gamble unless you use another voucher.
- Take Regular Breaks
Gambling and betting can be a very fun activity if you know how to play your cards right and play it safe. However, even if you are disciplined enough, you might get tempted to bet more than you would want if you spend too much time in your sessions.
So, when that happens, we advise you to just take a break. Don’t make a bet for a day or two, cool off, and don’t think about betting during that time. If you are tempted to still think about wagering, you might be in danger of developing a gambling issue, in which case you should seek professional help.
Responsible Gambling Resources and Getting Help
Going over the line with your bets happens, and it even happens to the best of us. It’s how you’ll react that matters, so if you decide to pursue instant help, you’ll have more than enough organisations in the UK to lean on.
In our expert opinion and through our experience, these have been the best sanctuaries for players with a gambling problem in the UK, and we’ll tell you how you can get in touch with them:
- UK Gambling Commiassion — The official website of the UK Gambling Commission features a section titled “Organizations that can help” where you will find the official contact info of gambling rehabilitation centres and therapy providers to help players in need.
- Northern Gambling Service — The website of the Northern Gambling Service allows you to get in contact with the experts and work on the problem with therapy that is proven to work for others. You can also use their official hotline at 0300 3001490 to get help.
- Responsible Gambling Council — The Responsible Gambling Council has been there for UK players in need for 35 years, and they don’t only have courses on dealing with problem gambling. They also help players looking for ways to keep gambling within their bankroll limits or abide by the latest responsible gambling standards.
- BeGambleAware — The GambleAware organisation is yet another authority you can trust in this niche since they have been working with the biggest operators in the UK, like Bet365 and William Hill. They specialise in giving therapy on how to deal with gambling issues, but also in just opening up about your problems and searching for guidance.
GamCare — Last but not least, we have to mention GamCare as the leader in the UK online gambling community with the most versatile methods of getting help. You can call them via their hotline at 0808 8020 133 or use other means of communication to get in touch with their experts. You also get to share your experiences with other players and use platforms like WhatsApp, live chat, forums, and chat rooms to get proper help.