Responsible Gaming. Play safely

The concept of ‘Responsible Gaming’ refers to the commitment by all players in the field of online casinos in India to improve the level of control of pathological gaming-related disorders.

From this point of view, platforms operating in the gaming sector in India are obliged, by law, to constantly monitor and accompany their users.

Below, you will find a series of specific information on the subject.

How to recognise compulsive gamblers

The problem of compulsive gambling is common to many people who spend their time on online casinos. It is not a generic problem, in the sense that it does not affect all players, but it is something that can certainly happen and about which one should be well informed.

In order to avoid turning a simple moment of difficulty into a serious pathology, it is essential not to ignore certain small signs that clearly testify to a pathology with respect to compulsive gambling, both in oneself and in the behaviour of someone close to us.

The elements that can easily let us know that a gambler is in trouble and may need help are very clear and obvious: spending too much money on an online casino, perhaps always on a specific game, having sudden mood swings and difficulty maintaining stable behaviour, are signs that one is slowly heading towards the pathology of compulsive gambling.

Keeping one’s attitude constantly monitored is therefore central to avoiding surprises and being able to enjoy the serene side of gaming. Therefore, if we recognise ourselves in any of the risk behaviour just mentioned, we should immediately seek support to help us out.

Deposit limits

The player, before starting to gamble, can set a predetermined amount per month or related to a particular game in order to put a limit on the possible loss of money from gambling activity. In addition, he can set a time parameter for the duration of the session that prevents him from spending too much time behind a game and helps him keep track of the hours spent playing.

Self-Exclusion Programme

Self-exclusion is one of the main measures imposed by legislators and adopted by online casinos in order to ensure a conscious and responsible gaming experience.

A player who feels the need to take a break from gambling may self-exclude himself from the online casino either temporarily or permanently.

When the player decides to self-exclude temporarily, the casino will block his gaming account for a period determined by the player, who will not be able to make any transactions or play. At the end of the self-exclusion period, the user will be able to access the gaming activity again, without the need for any further communication.

Self-exclusion from gaming on a permanent basis is not time-limited. In this case, only after at least 6 months have elapsed from the date of self-exclusion may the user apply for readmission to the game by sending a written request for revocation and attaching a valid identity document, which will be double-checked.

Self-evaluation test

The self-assessment test is another of the tools made available by online casinos through which the user can test whether or not gambling has become a problem and which can help him or her reflect on what the first alarm bells are.

Generally, self-assessment tests present questions that must be answered with four hypotheses of your choice and each of which will be assigned a score. The total of the points of the various answers will decree the profile of the player divided into 4 bands: non-problematic player, risk player, problem player, pathological player.

How to help people who have a gambling problem

What should we do when we realise that a person next to us has a real problem with gambling?

The first thing to do, as is always the case when faced with a problem, is to talk to the person and try to understand where the compulsive gambling pathology may be coming from. Sometimes it is the starting economic conditions that push those who play on online casinos towards an obsession with betting, with the aim of recovering money.

It therefore becomes very important, for those who intend to support a player in psychological difficulty, to understand what are the starting points of the erroneous behaviour.

The second step, obvious but fundamental, is the closing of all accounts linked to online gambling platforms, to avoid, even in cases of players with the best intentions of rehabilitation, possible relapses, which are often really complex to manage.

How to prevent fun from becoming an addiction

Recognising the signs that transform a fun activity such as online gambling into an addiction that eliminates the entertainment part, becoming an obsession, is not simple, but crucial in order to approach the world of online casinos in the right way.

One has to ask oneself some very clear and sharp questions when one realises that one is spending a lot of money that one actually needs, or money that one needs for current expenses (rent, bills, shopping, transport), on a gaming platform. It may sound bizarre, but sometimes it happens unconsciously that we find ourselves forced into a vortex whereby, very quickly, a month’s entire salary is squandered on gambling.

An excellent way to avoid situations of this kind, without however eliminating the pleasure of the occasional gamble on an online casino, is to set, by means of the limiters that all platforms must, by law, have, a monthly or weekly spending ceiling: in this way, it becomes easier to keep the outgoings under control and avoid unpleasant inconveniences.

In general, it is important for players to know the world of online gambling well, knowing that one can win or lose, and avoiding consequences that can lead to hard times.

Protection of Minors

Participation in games with cash prizes is prohibited for persons under the age of 18. In order to guarantee the protection of minors, the casinos accept registration on their gaming platform only from persons who have reached the age of 18 and carry out checks on the consistency of the personal data indicated during registration by verifying the copy of the identity document. The procedure for verifying the identity of new players represents an invaluable additional tool that is taken extremely seriously by the casinos.

Data protection and legal gaming

Casinos’ systems for handling and protecting players’ sensitive data have reached such levels of security that players do not have to worry about where their personal data goes, as well as data on transactions and payment methods used in the casino. Through the introduction of various effective policies and tools to control access to important private data, gaming operators ensure that the privacy of information is respected and in line with the requirements of most regulators.

Gaming Account Protection

In order to increase the level of security of the gaming account, several operators provide their users with vademecums containing information that can serve this purpose.

Protecting yourself against Phishing

Other useful tips are provided to recognise and defend against phishing, the computer technique used to commit digital identity theft. The scam is perpetrated by sending misleading messages (via e-mails or text messages designed to appear genuine) or links to a site apparently similar to the official one. The aim is to acquire personal information, financial data or access codes such as passwords, PINs, etc.

You can recognise a phishing e-mail by the following elements

To defend yourself against phishing, you should