Responsible Gaming, or the basics of sensible gameplay

Responsible gaming regulations are created primarily to protect players from gambling addiction. It is also intended to promote the mechanism of self-control. That is a set of information and rules that should be followed by anyone who wants to place bets. It should be remembered that betting and playing on Forex markets is not fun, but an investment of real money. Responsible gaming is a very important aspect. That is why bookmaking companies that organize bets and brokers where you can bet try to provide as much information as possible at the beginning that is necessary to play responsibly, in order to warn against irresponsible behavior.

On the betting websites, there are separate sub-pages aimed at the users of the sites – these are the rules of responsible gaming. It is important to note that the rules must be approved by the USA Minister of Finance. This is a necessary condition for the bookmaker to operate fully legally. This means that only licensed companies accepting bets online have it. Sometimes illegal bookmakers also publish rules of responsible gaming on their sites. But these are regulations which are not supervised by the state and they do not guarantee legal gaming.

Bookmakers and brokers also try their best to take care of the mental health of players. It often happens that they introduce technical restrictions on access to the account, which the user can administer on his own. These include limits on play, complete or temporary exclusion from betting or investing. Brokers also usually provide demo accounts, which allow you to invest virtual money to learn the mechanisms and not to lose, at the beginning of your adventure, real funds.

It’s not worth the risk – only play legally

The newest legal regulations speak clearly – placing bets at bookmakers without a license from the Ministry of Finance is a fiscal offense that is threatened with a financial penalty. If such an offence is proven, the offender must return 100% of their winnings in an illegal bet, not reduced by the amount bet.

You must remember that placing bets with bookmakers who are not licensed by the Ministry of Finance as well as playing with brokers operating illegally in our country may have very serious consequences. Among other things you may lose your money or become a victim of personal data theft. USA law does not exercise any supervision over such entities. Thus, in case of e.g. non-payment of winnings, they cannot be held responsible before the United States courts.

Above all you should be aware that gambling and forex markets are for adults only. Children and teenagers under the age of 18 are not allowed to participate in betting games. Legal bookmakers and brokerage companies take proper care to enforce this law effectively. On the websites of online bookmaking companies and brokers, pop-ups are displayed to inform users that they are forbidden to use the site under the age of 18. It is also impossible to register an account without providing your date of birth and verifying it with a scan of your ID.

How to protect yourself from addiction?

Gambling involves strong emotions. Regular gambling combined with a lack of control over the gambler’s emotions can cause addiction. People take the risk of betting on the outcome of a game to have fun, to feel the excitement of risk and uncertainty, and to hit their winnings. It is these strong and pleasurable emotions that underlie gambling addiction, which is why responsible gaming is so important.

The driving force behind gambling addiction, or pathological gambling, is the need to experience the strong tension that comes with playing. Winning reinforces one’s belief in one’s own ability to influence the outcome of the game and encourages one to continue playing. Losing causes anger and a desire to get the money back, also forcing the person to continue playing. The addict is therefore in a “vicious circle.

Gambling addiction is not only a problem for players of slot machines, roulette or sports betting, who trade with big money for example in casinos. It also affects people who trade on the Forex markets. The hope of winning big and the pleasant thrill of uncertainty can lead to losing control of the game. For this reason, responsible gambling should be an idea that protects you from the negative effects of gambling.

When is gaming an illness?

According to the latest criteria for diagnosing pathological gambling developed by the American Psychiatric Association. An addiction can be said to exist when a player exhibits four or more of the following behaviours:

• Feels the need to gamble more and more in order to achieve the desired level of excitement,
• Experiences anxiety or irritability when restricting or stopping play,
• Has tried to control or limit his or her gambling, but without success,
• Is often in a bad mood to gamble,
• Has a bad mood that prompts him/her to gamble; after a loss, needs to win back,
• Lies to hide their true level of involvement in gambling.
• Relies on others to raise money to save a desperate financial situation caused by gambling