Gambling is an activity that has spread its roots in the UK. However, there are those that cannot control their gambling desire. They spend too much money and time gambling. For them, gambling has affected their way of living. There is still hope for such players. Gambling addiction is similar to every other known addiction. At one moment they are aware that it’s not good for them, that they spend too much money on it, but in the next one, they want to go to the casino and spend everything they have, so they can win (or often lose) the game.
How to recognize if you or someone close to you have a gambling addiction problem?
Addiction problems can happen to anyone, including you. People first play gambling games for fun, but very often they are obsessed with the game. This obsession may affect the relationships and work, including the family, your partner, your productivity, and financial problems of course.
It’s also known as pathological gambling or compulsive gambling when the gambler can’t control themselves in their urge to play the game. It’s not only the player who suffers. This problem is affecting everyone close to them, especially when they ask for money or lose something worthy, like jewelry, expensive paintings, or their home.
This condition is often associated with mood disorders, ADHD, anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. The first step in overcoming this problem is to recognize it and to be honest with yourself. The next thing the gambler needs is to find a proper way to cope with the disorder.
The UK self-exclusion program gives players a chance to exclude themselves from gambling activities. The program usually takes at least six months. Gambling is not something you wake up one morning and decide to stop. Help is essential. There are various self-exclusion options for players in the UK including Gamban, Gamcheck, NetNanny, and Gamstop.
To be totally bullet proof you should sign up for every one of them, plus contact non-Gamstop connected casinos and manually exclude.
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Gamban UK casino self-exclusion
Source: casinolifemagazine
Gamban is one of the best ways to exclude yourself from gambling activities. The application helps you lock out online gambling on all your devices. It is possible that you play some casino games online. The application cuts access to all online gambling sites making it impossible to gamble. This option is secure and reliable.
The reason is, it does not affect other apps on your phone or computer other than the gambling sites. Besides, it is an application which only needs a quick download and is quite affordable. The application works just as well on computers, phones, tablets, and other portable devices.
Gamcheck UK casino self-exclusion
Source: thegamblingcommunity
Gamcheck is another UK casino self-exclusion option for most problem gamblers. The team consists of well-experienced gamblers and trusty volunteers. They have created a database of all casinos operating in the UK.
They help you figure out the best and licensed casinos in the UK, as we all know the number of online casinos in the UK has been on the rise. The database helps you determine authentic casinos thus avoid those operating without a license. Besides, the team of professionals always remind problem gamblers to seek help from the National Gambling Helpline. They also make contributions to those organizations advocating for safe and responsible gambling in the UK.
NetNanny UK casino self-exclusion
Source: amazon
Despite being illegal for children to gamble in the UK, some still find their way in by other means. They do it without their parent’s knowledge. However, as a parent, you may find it wise to monitor and control the things your children do online. With NetNanny, you can control and monitor your child’s phone or computer activities. The content-control software blocks all apps and websites including casinos on the devices used by your kids – or yourself, if you feel that could help with your self-exclusion. Not only does the app block the sites but it also reports to you the sites being accessed by your family members.
Gamstop UK casino self-exclusion
Source: lutontown
Another self-exclusion scheme to use in the UK is Gamstop. The scheme lets you control or puts restrictions on your online gambling activities. After signing up for the scheme, you won’t be able to access any licensed gambling sites in the UK.
You have to register and provide a description of yourself on Gamstop before using it. The registration process is simple and free. When registering, you specify the period it will take, the usual being six months or one year. However, casinos not on Gamstop, such as those without a UK license, are not affected by this self-exclusion program.
To be totally bullet proof you also need to manually exclude yourself from casinos not on Gamstop which can be time-consuming, but worth it in the long run. To make it easier, you would need to find a website like Casinomir that a are listing all non gamstop casinos. This is the way everyone had to do with EVERY casino in the UK before Gamstop was introduced.
Source: cardschat
A lot of people have wrong beliefs for those who have gambling issues. They think that only poor people can have problems like this because they don’t have much money to lose. But, this addiction also affects the rich people who can’t control themselves and always have an urge to gamble more and more, believing that they will win the next game. That results in money loss and heavy mood changes.
Others will say that these people are weak and irresponsible. That is partly true because they make irresponsible choices that make the whole family suffer. But in general, the reason behind the addictions is always heavier than an ordinary weakness. That is why they need to ask for help to find the root of the problem, so they can fix everything when they still have time to save something.
Another case is when people believe that gambling boyfriend will force his girlfriend to take the same path. But, the casino is not contagious and if she doesn’t want that, she wouldn’t do anything that will lead her to great money loss. But, addiction problems are still a taboo between the people, especially those who never had something similar in their families. They don’t understand the reasons and they can cause more suffering with their comments.
And, another example that happens very often is that close friends and family members believe that if they give money to the gambler, he or she will use them to pay the debts. But, that rarely happens because they use the money to gamble again. That is the case when they should be aware they have a problem and ask for help, or use some of the exclusion methods we mentioned in this article. Everything is better when the gambler is honest and recognizes the problem on time, because the longer they deny, the more problems they will have while excluding themselves from these games.
Source: addictionrehabtoronto
Final Thoughts on the UK casino self-exclusion
Gambling is fun. However, if it becomes a problem for you, making you a problem gambler, you should seek immediate help. The above are just some of the UK casino self-exclusion options. You might want to try out at least two methods simultaneously, just in case one fails. It won’t cost you much since most of them are free.
But remember, that casinos not on Gamban will not be affected if you choose to self-exclude yourself from online gambling using just the Gamban option. While on your self-exclusion program, avoid things that may tempt you to gamble, like watching casino advertisements. If you can’t self-exclude, seek immediate help from experts.
