Tips For Gambling Responsibly This Christmas

Christmas is a time full of fun, food, and merriment. However, it can also be stressful. It’s often a time when we reach for our phones or laptops to play a quick slot or table game. In this article, we’ll give you some expert tips to help you gamble safely and responsibly throughout the festive season.

The Temptation To Gamble At Christmas

The Christmas season can be a busy time for those who have families and friends to visit. However, many people don’t have anyone to visit, which can be lonely. This is one of the reasons why Christmas can lead to problematic gambling. When you’re on holiday, it can be easy to get carried away with gambling, if there isn’t much to do. 

Even those folks who have lots of places to be over Christmas can find it a difficult, and sometimes even boring, time. You may be with family you don’t get on with or simply don’t have much in common with. 

So, playing a few games is a very tempting distraction from the situation you might find yourself in. However, it’s important to keep your gambling under control and to follow responsible gambling principles. 

Expert Tips To Manage Your Gambling

A great deal of research has been carried out in the field of problem gambling. Our team of experts is led by the psychologist Dr Aaron Weiner. We have reviewed the evidence and have come up with some tips to help you manage your gambling this Christmas.

Set a sensible bankroll

One of the first things to do when you intend to spend some time at an online casino is to set a sensible bankroll. You have to understand your own gambling behaviour to do this, so it’s not as straightforward as it might seem. We’ve put together five tips to help you set a sensible gambling budget at Christmas time.

• Set a daily limit for your gambling

• Use gambling tools at the casino to set spending limits

• Continually review your wager amounts to make sure you don’t overspend

• Don’t gamble when you’re upset or emotional

Make time for friends and family

It seems like an obvious point, but it’s easy to get caught up in online gambling. This can lead to you spending too much time playing and not enough time with friends and family. 

Spending time with those close to you, and taking a break from gambling is important. Christmas time can bring people together, so taking time away from online casinos and spending it with the people around you can bring different rewards. 

Keep things in perspective and don’t chase your losses

Sometimes, it can be tempting to think that if you continue playing, you can make up for your losses. Chasing your losses only leads to bigger losses. 

We’ve put together a few tips to help you move away from the games if you feel like you’re losing perspective on your betting.

• Take regular breaks from playing

• Set a bankroll and stick to it

• Remember that casino games are based on chance, so one spin of the reels doesn’t affect the next spin.

Use Responsible Gambling tools

Online casinos take responsible gambling very seriously, so the best casinos give players access to various responsible gambling tools. Here’s a quick breakdown of these tools and how to use them.

Responsible Gambling Tool	How To Use It
Deposit limits	You can limit how much you deposit on a site over a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. When the maximum amount has been reached, you won’t be able to deposit any more until the period has finished.
Loss limits	You can set a loss amount where you will be blocked from the site when you reach that amount for a set period of time.
Time limits	Players can limit the amount of time they spend at a casino by setting a time limit. When you reach the time limit, you will be blocked from the site until the exclusion period is over.
Self-exclusion	This means that you can request to be excluded from the casino for a fixed amount of time. This is often quite a long period, ranging from six months to a few years.

Join communities and find extra help

Being alone at Christmas can be very isolating. It can feel like everyone else has somewhere to be, and the time off work can bring on even more isolation. This can lead to problem gambling, as you have more time to spend online and fewer distractions.

If you feel that your gambling is becoming an issue, there are many resources and communities that can help you. We’ve compiled a list of renowned UK-based responsible gambling helplines and organisations you can contact for impartial assistance.

• GamCare: 0808 8020 133

• Gamblers Anonymous: 0330 094 0322

• BeGambleAware: 0330 094 0322

• GamAnon

• GamFam

• Gordon Moody: 01384 241292

When you’re struggling with your gambling, it can feel like things will never improve. However, many people do manage to get their gambling under control. 

This is the story of David, who reached out to Gamcare for help. David was on the brink of losing his family when he contacted Gamcare. He was referred for treatment at the Beacon Counselling Trust, and StepChange helped him with his financial issues. 

He is well on the way to recovery and said that just knowing there is someone there to help has made him feel less alone and ashamed.

Relax And Enjoy Spinning The Reels This Christmas

Christmas should be a time to give thanks for everything we have and to enjoy the company of loved ones. If that also happens to involve spinning a few reels, then that can be enjoyable too. 

However, it’s vital to keep in mind that gambling should be fun. If it's no longer relaxing and entertaining, then it’s time to take a break for a while.