What Is Responsible Gambling?
You may have heard the term responsible gambling and wondered what it means. If you decide to gamble, responsible gambling practices can help you avoid harm from gambling. Responsible gambling is a lot like having a designated driver if you’re planning to drink alcohol—it’s a tool to keep you safer. Responsible gambling—also called responsible gaming or RG—can help you avoid problems that could result from gambling.
According to research released in 2023 by the American Gaming Association, almost half of American adults had engaged in some form of gambling in the previous year.
Of people who gamble, 90% don’t experience any harms from their gambling. But some people’s gambling gets out of control and causes significant harm to them and people they care about.
It’s hard to predict who will have trouble from gambling. If you choose to gamble, one of the best things you can do to reduce the risks is to adopt proven responsible gambling practices.
Responsible Gambling Practices
Here are some responsible gambling practices that are easy to understand and follow—and that can be powerful for helping keep you out of trouble.
Decide in advance how much money you can afford to lose.
Before you get to the casino, log onto a sports betting app, head to the races, or go to the convenience store to buy scratchcards, decide the maximum dollar amount you’re willing to lose. In other words, set a hardline spending limit. Is it $10 or $100?
To help stick with the limit you have set, people find it helpful to leave their credit card, debit card, and extra cash at home so they’re not tempted to spend more than they planned.
If gambling is something you enjoy often, it can be wise to set a weekly or monthly budget for gambling, in addition to deciding what you’ll spend in each gambling session. With a budget, you won’t get to the end of the month when bills are due and realize you’ve gambled away money you need for other purposes.
Stop yourself from trying to win back your losses.
It seems that everyone who has lost money gambling has thought maybe they could win back that money after a few more bets. We all love to win and hate the idea of walking away having lost. In the gambling world, trying to win back money you have lost is called chasing your losses. It can be tempting to chase your losses. The truth is that this chase is a bad bet and a bad idea. Think about it. You know probability just does not work this way. Chasing your losses can lead to losing even more money.
If you’ve already risked the amount you planned to and you’ve lost it, be smart and walk away. Don’t keep gambling to try to win back what you lost, and most definitely don’t come back another day to chase your losses either.
What’s lost is lost. Realize that you had fun while it lasted and avoid the pain of losing more.
Gamble only with money you have.
Gamble only with money you have. Don’t use credit cards or borrow money to gamble. If you don’t have money to lose, you don’t have money to gamble. Find something else to do instead.
Gamble for fun, not for money.
If you decide to gamble, remember it’s something to do for fun—not to earn money. It may seem easier to gamble for money rather than work for it. But be real, that only happens in a movie. Gambling is not a reliable way to get money.
Try setting a time limit.
Many people will tell stories about how time flew by and they had no idea how long they had engaged in gambling. Like having a budget for how much money you’re willing to risk, setting a limit for how much time you’ll spend gambling helps keep gambling from taking over your life.
You may have a job or be in school. You may have hobbies or fitness goals. You may have family members and friends you care about. If you spend all your time gambling, you won’t have time for your other priorities. Setting a time limit for gambling leaves you room for what’s most important in your life.
Know the law.
Gambling laws vary by state, so know what forms of gambling are legal for someone your age in the state you’re in.
Take a break if you need to.
If you realize you’re spending too much time or money gambling, take a break. Stop gambling at least for a period of time. It can even be helpful to self-exclude from sports betting apps and casinos so you’re not relying on willpower alone to keep you from gambling. You can also reduce the amount of gambling-related content and ads you see through your social media. The Gambling Clinic’s guides describe how you can control your access to gambling and minimize online content that might trigger the urge.
What Is Responsible Gambling
You may have heard the term responsible gambling and wondered what it means. If you decide to gamble, responsible gambling practices can help you avoid harm from gambling. Responsible gambling is a lot like having a designated driver if you’re planning to drink alcohol—it’s a tool to keep you safer. Responsible gambling—also called responsible gaming or RG—can help you avoid problems that could result from gambling.
According to research released in 2023 by the American Gaming Association, almost half of American adults had engaged in some form of gambling in the previous year.
Of people who gamble, 90% don’t experience any harms from their gambling. But some people’s gambling gets out of control and causes significant harm to them and people they care about.
It’s hard to predict who will have trouble from gambling. If you choose to gamble, one of the best things you can do to reduce the risks is to adopt proven responsible gambling practices.
Responsible Gambling Practices
Here are some responsible gambling practices that are easy to understand and follow—and that can be powerful for helping keep you out of trouble.
Decide in advance how much money you can afford to lose.
Before you get to the casino, log onto a sports betting app, head to the races, or go to the convenience store to buy scratchcards, decide the maximum dollar amount you’re willing to lose. In other words, set a hardline spending limit. Is it $10 or $100?
To help stick with the limit you have set, people find it helpful to leave their credit card, debit card, and extra cash at home so they’re not tempted to spend more than they planned.
If gambling is something you enjoy often, it can be wise to set a weekly or monthly budget for gambling, in addition to deciding what you’ll spend in each gambling session. With a budget, you won’t get to the end of the month when bills are due and realize you’ve gambled away money you need for other purposes.
Stop yourself from trying to win back your losses.
It seems that everyone who has lost money gambling has thought maybe they could win back that money after a few more bets. We all love to win and hate the idea of walking away having lost. In the gambling world, trying to win back money you have lost is called chasing your losses. It can be tempting to chase your losses. The truth is that this chase is a bad bet and a bad idea. Think about it. You know probability just does not work this way. Chasing your losses can lead to losing even more money.
If you’ve already risked the amount you planned to and you’ve lost it, be smart and walk away. Don’t keep gambling to try to win back what you lost, and most definitely don’t come back another day to chase your losses either.
What’s lost is lost. Realize that you had fun while it lasted and avoid the pain of losing more.
Gamble only with money you have.
Gamble only with money you have. Don’t use credit cards or borrow money to gamble. If you don’t have money to lose, you don’t have money to gamble. Find something else to do instead.
Gamble for fun, not for money.
If you decide to gamble, remember it’s something to do for fun—not to earn money. It may seem easier to gamble for money rather than work for it. But be real, that only happens in a movie. Gambling is not a reliable way to get money.
Try setting a time limit.
Many people will tell stories about how time flew by and they had no idea how long they had engaged in gambling. Like having a budget for how much money you’re willing to risk, setting a limit for how much time you’ll spend gambling helps keep gambling from taking over your life.
You may have a job or be in school. You may have hobbies or fitness goals. You may have family members and friends you care about. If you spend all your time gambling, you won’t have time for your other priorities. Setting a time limit for gambling leaves you room for what’s most important in your life.
Know the law.
If you realize you’re spending too much time or money gambling, take a break. Stop gambling at least for a period of time. It can even be helpful to self-exclude from sports betting apps and casinos so you’re not relying on willpower alone to keep you from gambling. You can also reduce the amount of gambling-related content and ads you see through your social media. The Gambling Clinic’s guides describe how you can control your access to gambling and minimize online content that might trigger the urge.
If You’re Concerned About Your Gambling
If you’re concerned your gambling has gotten out of control, The Gambling Clinic can help you make the changes you want in your life. Contact us or click here to get started.
Conclusion
For some people, gambling is a way to have fun from time to time. For other people, gambling can become a problem. If you want to have fun with gambling and avoid harm, responsible gambling practices can help keep yourself safer while you have a good time.
If You’re Concerned About Your Gambling
If you’re concerned your gambling has gotten out of control, The Gambling Clinic can help you make the changes you want in your life. Contact us or click here to get started.
Conclusion
For some people, gambling is a way to have fun from time to time. For other people, gambling can become a problem. If you want to have fun with gambling and avoid harm, responsible gambling practices can help keep yourself safer while you have a good time.
