Responsible gambling/gaming is quite a broad concept. So what does it really mean?

Basically, responsible gambling is a set of social responsibility initiatives set by the industry itself. Operators (casinos), governments, regulatory authorities, etc. The aim is to bring the harms that can be associated with real money gambling to public awareness. Eg. gambling addiction. 

But how do you know whether your gambling is becoming problematic? Do I have a gambling addiction already?

Compulsive gambling

Gambling has become compulsive when the player is no longer in control. Gambling has become an obsessive desire, the center point of the whole life. Gambling addiction isn’t something that is developed in an instance but over time. Hence it is good to regularly do self-assessment.

Self-assessment

Many operators provide self-assessment tools to test whether gambling has become or might becoming compulsive. On these tools you are commonly asked the following questions:

  • Are you constantly think of gambling? – (even outside the tables)
  • Are you playing with money that you cannot afford to lose?
  • Are you playing because you try to win back losses?
  • Are you borrowing money to gamble?

And of course, you should answer the questions truthfully. You are doing the self-test for yourself after all.

Setting up limits

Before entering real money tables, it is good to set up limits for gaming in advance.

  • Time limit – How much time (hours) you are going to gamble?
  • Loss limit – What is the maximum amount of money that you can lose?
  • Stake limit – What is the maximum bet that you will allow yourself each betting round?

Self-exclusion

If you think that you are no longer in control of your gambling you can self-exclude yourself. You won’t be anymore able to play on any casinos or online casinos in Switzerland once you have submitted the self-exclusion form. The ban applies to all of Switzerland, both online and offline. Including lotteries and sports betting. All real money games that are legally offered in Switzerland.