While most casino players are able to successfully control their gambling habits, unfortunately, there’s a subset of gamblers that may get addicted to their experience at online casino sites. This is why it’s very important for all Swiss players to learn about the best tools and resources they can use at Swiss online casinos to enjoy a safe, responsible online gambling experience.
Namely, there are lots of responsible gaming tools that you can find at all licensed Swiss online casinos. We’ll get to discuss them and help you use them in our comprehensive review of the subject of responsible gaming at online casinos in Switzerland. Regardless if you face problems with gaming addiction or not, we feel that the information you’ll learn here will be very important when playing at any online casino site. So, let’s get to it.
Contents
Understanding Gaming Addiction
Source: gambleboost.com
Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling or gambling disorder, is a serious condition with a wide spectrum of symptoms. While not everyone is impacted, some individuals may grapple with an uncontrollable urge to continue gambling, even as it significantly impacts their lives.
When engaged in addictive online gambling patterns, the player may get a tunnel vision towards the prize, disregarding any losses in the process. The dopamine centers in the brain get overstimulated when gambling and expecting (and intermittently getting) a reward, to an extent where the player keeps on playing for ever-increasing periods, spending ever-increasing sums of money.
Compulsive gambling is a serious condition that can ruin lives – not just the life of the person gambling, but also the lives of the closest friends and family of this person. While it’s not easy – it’s definitely possible to treat compulsive gambling, with the right tools and under the right guidance.
This is known to be a serious issue in Switzerland – as statistics show that 2.2% of Swiss gamblers qualify as problematic gamblers and 1.1% qualify for pathological gambling, which unfortunately equals a relatively big number of people dealing with this affliction.
Principles of Responsible Gaming in Online Casinos
Source: uk-rehab.com
Players need to learn how to gamble responsibly at the best Swiss online casinos. For starters, players need to set limits on the time they spend gambling at online casinos, as well as limits on the sum of money they’re allowed to spend at the casino. So, discipline when gambling is of the utmost importance – in spite of how hard it may seem to remain disciplined in the exciting and volatile world of online casinos.
Two other very important habits are those of self-assessment and self-awareness when gambling at Swiss online casinos. In all cases, Swiss players need to remain self-aware as to the sum of money and the time they have spent at the right online casino.
But it’s not only necessary to be self-aware about gambling at the casino – but also about life outside of gambling. Do you feel like everything else apart from gambling is unimportant? Do you feel like you could do without your friends, family, hobbies and job – if only you had the money to gamble? If this is the case, then you may have a compulsive gambling habit and you need to deal with it as soon as possible.
Tools and Resources for Safe Gaming
Source: lawstrust.com
Luckily, under the enforced Swiss gambling laws and under the supervision of the GESPA, Swiss casino sites need to provide responsible gambling tools for players. This is why any reputable casino site features responsible gaming tools and resources, such as:
- Time limits. Players can manually set time limits as to the period of the day they’re allowed to play at the Swiss casino site.
- Self-exclusion. Players can ask that they’re forbidden to log into their casino account for a predetermined period – or even indefinitely. This is an important tool to have in mind if you feel that you’re losing grip on your gambling habits at a particular online casino.
- Deposit limits. Players can also manually select the maximum deposit limits, meaning they will limit the sum of money they can deposit at an online casino website.
- Reality checks. Sometimes, while playing, players can lose grip on the time they spend gambling, as well as the money they’ve spent doing so. This is why online casinos provide reality checks, showing the player the exact time and the exact sum of money they’ve spent playing games on the site.
Apart from the tools above, there are also links for quick access to professional organizations that deal with problem gambling:
If you find that you face problems when gambling, then it would be best for you to contact one or more of these organizations and get professional help.
Legal Framework in Switzerland – The Swiss Federal Gaming Board
Source: streichenberg.ch
The Swiss government has proposed, enacted and enforced what’s known as a new gambling law – with which it enforces the Swiss market and the gambling industry to set a base for responsible gaming and promote it.
Only online casinos that have applied for and been issued a Swiss online gaming license by the regulatory authority are permitted to offer gambling services to individuals. They need to pay taxes in Switzerland, too. This goes even for offshore casinos that are licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, for example. It’s not simple to be issued one such license – as operators need to adhere to all the rules and regulations of Swiss laws, including responsible gaming practices. Failing to adhere to this, casino operators won’t get a license or they’ll be forced to relinquish their license and cease all operations.
Recognizing and Dealing with Problem Gambling
Source: ctpublic.org
There are several signs that players can exhibit when it comes to problem gambling, such as:
- Spending lots of time gambling
- Spending lots of money gambling
- Discarding other hobbies and quality time with close ones due to gambling
- Feeling that you should chase after losses
- Feeling an uncontrollable urge to gamble
If you feel that you exhibit any of these symptoms, then you need to cease gambling immediately and contact a professional organization for help. In time and with effort, you’ll be able to create discipline for yourself and start gambling responsibly – or stop gambling altogether.
Personal Stories and Case Studies
Source: gamblingsites.org
Fortunately, there are many success stories of conquering gambling addictions and gambling responsibly. You can find many of them online. For example, there are personal stories at Gambler’s Help, with people giving true to heart testimony, such as:
- “It was hard for me to tell him, but when I did, he was so supportive that it made it easy for me.” – Linda on finding support from her son in dealing with problem gambling.
- “I’m a lot happier. It was the best thing I ever did.” – said Mario upon reaching 8 years of gambling sobriety.
- “I opened up to a friend about my gambling. The compassion and receptiveness she showed me ignited me to change.” – Bayou shares a critical portion of his road to recovery.
Conclusion
As fun as gambling online can be, it can also be pretty addictive. Players need to remember to always gamble responsibly. Use the available responsible gaming tools and resources that legitimate Swiss casinos provide to players. Above all else, make sure to not delay contacting professional organizations if you feel that you’re addicted to gambling. By gambling responsibly at any other online casino, you can have fun without losing a grip on your gambling habits.
