Don’t think of gambling as a way to make money: The bottom line is that gambling establishments are set up to take in more money than they pay out. Understand that the odds of winning are always with the house. This means over time, you will lose more money than you win. All forms of gambling have the same principle - the vast majority lose so that a very small minority can have big wins. Virtually all people with gambling problems hold the false expectation that they are the ones who will be the big winners. That belief may contribute to the problem.
Always gamble with money that you can afford to lose: Gamble with money that you set aside for fun, like going to the movies or going out for drinks. Never use money that you need for important things, like rent, bills, tuition, etc.
Set a financial limit: Decide how much money you can afford to lose before you play. When you have lost that amount of money, quit. If you win – enjoy, but remember it won’t happen most of the time.
Set a time limit. Decide how much time you can afford to spend gambling. When you reach that time limit, stop gambling. Set predetermined limits for both frequency and duration of visits.
Never chase losses. If you lose money, never try to get it back by going over your limit. This usually leads to even bigger losses.
Don’t gamble when you are depressed, upset or under stress : It is hard to make good decisions about gambling when you are feeling down. Don't use gambling to cope with personal or family problems.
Balance gambling with other activities: It’s important to enjoy other activities so that gambling doesn’t become too big a part of your life. Responsible gambling should be done socially, with family, friends or colleagues.
Alcohol use can be risky. Alcohol can affect a person’s judgment and ability to make decisions. Therefore, it may interfere with the ability to gamble in a controlled manner.
(materials adapted with permission from The Responsible Gambling Council - Ontario, Canada
- http://www. responsiblegambling.org)
