Responsible gambling: play safer online
What is responsible gambling?
Responsible gambling involves a series of practices you can follow to remain in control of your money while gambling and ensure you have a safe experience.
Playing at reputable and safe online casinos in India reduces the risk of developing a gambling problem. These platforms provide essential tools and resources to protect players against reckless gambling.
Furthermore, the best real money casinos are also strictly monitored by authorised regulatory bodies, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, Curaçao Gaming Control Board, and eCOGRA, to ensure player safety.
How to spot signs of gambling addiction
Problem gambling affects both the player and their loved ones. Some common signs of problem gambling are:
Gambling as a compulsion rather than a fun activity
Gambling to hide from the daily stresses of life
Borrowing money to continue gambling
Compulsively chasing losses, irrespective of the amount
Thinking about gambling all the time
Committing fraud or other crimes to feed your gambling habit
Gambling becoming the most important part of your day
Being unable to stop gambling after multiple failed attempts
Hiding your gambling habit from friends and family, and isolating yourself to avoid scrutiny
Responsible online gambling tools
Top online gambling sites offer player tools such as deposit and wager limits, cooling off periods, self-exclusion measures, and self-assessments to encourage and promote responsible gaming practices. Here’s how these work:
This allows you to limit how much you can deposit into your casino account within a certain time frame, e.g. a maximum of ₹1,000 per week.
This restricts how much you can bet on a specific game or game round within a set period.
Set a time limit on how long you spend gambling during a single session or over a specific period. For example, you might choose to limit yourself to no more than one hour a day. Some platforms also send reminders to players after a certain amount of time playing, encouraging them to take breaks.
Casinos give players the option to temporarily lock themselves out of their casino accounts. You can choose how long it lasts (e.g. 24 hours, one week, one month etc.) and during this time, you will not be able to place bets or access any gambling features.
In place for those who need a proper break from gambling, this tool excludes you from a casino for a specified period, for instance six months, a year, or even indefinitely. This is completely voluntary and once processed by the casino, you’ll be locked out of your account. You can also opt to close your casino account by contacting customer support if you prefer.
This checklist or quiz is designed to help you identify addictive patterns of behaviour in your or your loved ones’ gambling habits.
Casinos let you set reminders of how long you’ve spent gambling or how much money you’ve wagered. You can customise how frequently you receive these notifications.
Where to seek help with problem gambling in India
Recognising that you have a problem is the first step in overcoming problem gambling habits. You can seek professional help from the following support groups across India, all of which are dedicated to helping those struggling with gambling addiction.
| Organisation | What they do | Website | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
Gamblers Anonymous India | Support group for recovering gambling addicts | ||
Hope Care India | Psychiatric and mental wellness centre | ||
Hope Trust India | Psychological and psychiatric services for those with addiction-related mental health issues | ||
Alpha Healing Centre | Holistic and scientific approach to gambling addiction treatment | ||
Abhasa | Rehabilitation centre in Kolkata |
Self-exclusion & blocking tools
Blocking tools such as Gamban, Betfilter, NetNanny, and Gamblock can help you by restricting access to most online gambling sites and apps from your device. You can select the platforms you wish to blacklist and the length of time you wish to keep them blocked.
Here are some of the most well-known blocking tools available to Indian players:
Gamban
This subscription-based feature blocks access to gambling sites and apps across various devices and platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. You can download it directly from the website or your smartphone’s app store.
BetBlocker
BetBlocker is a free-to-use self-exclusion tool designed to help control gambling addiction. It allows you to block your device from accessing over 15,000 gambling sites (as well as gambling apps on mobile devices) for a specified amount of time.
GamBlock
Gamblock is another popular tool for those looking to manage their gambling habits. As this is a paid application, GamBlock offers advanced protection against VPNs and Tor Browsers, which are generally used to bypass standard blocking software. The password protection feature also prevents users who might be tempted from easily disabling the blocker.
Protecting minors from underage gambling
The legal gambling age in India is generally considered 18. However, as gambling and betting legislature falls under state jurisdiction, regional regulations vary.
Underage gambling is illegal in India and any violation of this rule may lead to a fine or even time in prison. Parents and guardians are also responsible for ensuring that their children are not partaking in underage gambling. Here are some steps you can take to prevent this from happening:
Monitor your children’s online activity and how long they’re spending gaming
Educate them about the dangers of problem gambling and teach them how to be financially responsible
Make sure you don’t play casino games or place wagers in front of them
Ensure they can’t access your online casino account(s) or payment details on your device
Don’t ignore changes in their behaviour, for instance anger or frustration, as these could be signs that they’re struggling.
Tips on how to gamble responsibly
While online betting can be a lot of fun, you must also practise caution. Incorporating these responsible gambling habits into your routine will ensure you and your money stay safe.
Have a pre-decided amount of money that you will use for your gambling session.
Never indulge in gambling while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants.
Have realistic expectations about your odds. Always remember that the money you’re betting can all be lost.
Know when to quit, even if you’re incurring losses. Chasing losses can lead to addictive gambling patterns.
Teach yourself the rules of the game. Make sure you understand how it works before placing real money wagers.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Gambling addiction can be difficult to overcome, so provide them with emotional support and encourage them to seek professional help.
Practise safe gambling by managing your bankroll, setting a budget and sticking to it, and only playing at reliable online casinos with good reviews. Reviews on the safest online casinos are available right here at Casino.in.
Gambling addiction is a mental health issue characterised by uncontrollable impulses to gamble, often leading to financial, emotional, social, and/or interpersonal strain. Gambling addicts cannot stop gambling at will.
Operating betting and gambling establishments is illegal in India. However, no central legislature exists for online casinos yet, which are largely regulated by licensing bodies.
No, all online casinos do not offer gambling support. Only reputable and safe online casinos encourage responsible gambling. Find more information about safe online casinos and gambling support here.
Ana D.
Ana has been an iGaming content specialist and strategist for over a decade, operating across multiple markets, gaming categories, and regulatory guidelines.
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