What Are Responsible Gambling Tools And Why You Should Use Them

At Responsible Gambling, we fully adhere to the concept of responsible gambling, and we want as many people as possible to appreciate the significance of these principles. In this article, you will learn what responsible gambling tools are, how to use them, and why they are necessary for safer gambling.

What Are Responsible Gambling Tools

These are the special measures designed to make the player’s gambling experience safe and secure. Responsible gambling tools let the player voluntarily set various types of limits to avoid running into trouble, including gambling addiction and ludomania.

Types of Responsible Gambling Tools

So let’s have a look at the most common tools available to players.

Deposit Limits

This tool allows the players to restrict the amount of money which can be added to their account. Limits are usually set for a daily, weekly or monthly term. For example, if you set a $100 weekly funding limit but reach that limit half way through the week, you will have to wait until the following week to add further funds. Some operators let the users reduce the limit, but this often requires a cooling off period. Limiting fund deposits to the account is very useful for those feeling they spend more money on gambling than they intend to.

Loss Limits

This feature is designed to let the players limit the amount of money they are able to lose while gambling. As with limits on deposits, limiting losses can also be set to a daily, weekly or monthly period and once you have reached that limit you will be prevented from placing any new bets until that period has expired. This is especially helpful for those who feel they’re losing more money than they can afford to.

Session Limits

The aim of limited sessions is to restrict the amount of time one spends on the gambling platform during one session. Once you have set a limit , you will after some time receive a notification reminding you that your limit will soon expire and then after reaching the specified limit, you will automatically be logged out of your account. You can also do the same without being logged out, in which case you will just see a reminder on your screen that helps you keep track of time you spend gambling.

Wagering Limits

This measure allows a player to set a limit on the amount of money he is able to wager during a specific period of time, such as daily, weekly or monthly. As an example, if you decide to place a betting limit of $20 per day and then reach it by lunchtime, you will be prevented from placing any further bets until the following day. However, you are still able to access your account in order to deposit or withdraw funds.

Player History

As you'd expect, this history allows players to review all transactions on their account and includes activity such as deposits, withdrawals, placed bets, pending bets and also win/loss rate. This function can help players to manage their budget effectively as well as preventing them getting carried away.

Self-Exclusion

Lots of operators let their customers take a break from gambling with this tool. By using self-exclusion, players are allowed to ban themselves from any activity on the platform. Bettors can choose a short-term self-exclusion for up to 30 days (this feature is usually called 'Time Out') or a long-term one, which closes their accounts for a period of six months to five years, or even longer.

Self-Assessment

Players are sometimes given the opportunity to take special self-assessment tests in order to get a clearer picture of their gambling profile. These tests are made up of a series of statements. You will be asked to indicate how well you feel each statement describes your own circumstances. At the end of the assessment, you will be presented with a summary of which areas of your life may be affected negatively by your gambling. You will also receive suggestions about which tools may be helpful based on your responses.

Useful Links

Those operators that are interested in providing their clients with a safe gambling experience often partner up with specialized support centers (Gambling Therapy, GamCare etc). These organizations offer special tests and other kinds of help for problem gamblers.

How To Use Responsible Gambling Tools

Most legal iGaming platforms who provide these tools have a special section on their websites. You can find information about the available features there. You can use them in your account settings or try contacting your operator’s customer support to get assistance.

Why You Should Use Responsible Gambling Tools

First of all, using such facilities can help minimise the risk of gambling addiction and also ensure you play safe. It may also highlight any potential gambling problems you may have. For example, constantly exceeding the limits could mean you find it hard to control your gambling. Not only that, these tools will allow you to gamble in a more comfortable and fun way by managing your time and funds effectively.

Science Behind Responsible Gambling Tools

There is evidence that using responsible gambling tools helps players understand whether they are problem gamblers or not. ScienceDirect conducted a study on that subject back in 2019, which showed some interesting tendencies:

• Non-problem and low-risk gamblers are not usually disturbed by responsible gambling tools;
• Problem gamblers tend to act negatively towards these tools;
• Non-problem gamblers are not channeled away by responsible gambling tools;
• Non-problem gamblers are not an obstacle for developing responsible gambling tools.

To sum up, it is safe to say that players who are not at risk of addiction tend to have a positive experience using responsible gambling tools whereas those  those at risk find these measures annoying. Moreover, those who are not at risk of developing a gambling problem are unlikely to quit using the sites due to the availability of gambling tools. However, problem gamblers tend to become frustrated with responsible gambling tools. This forces them to either give up online gambling or switch to illegal platforms, which don’t offer any security measures.