Responsible gambling is really a matter of common sense. It means being in control of the amount of money that we spend on gambling as well as not spending more time than we should doing it. Whatever form of gambling you enjoy, whether it is playing at an online casino like Lucky Nugget pokies, buying a lottery ticket, or betting on a horse or sporting event, it is important to look on it as a form of entertainment and just part of your balanced lifestyle. Just as you would expect to pay for going to the cinema, to a club, or to a concert, expect to pay for the pleasure of gambling and only pay as much as you really can afford.
It is very important to pay for gambling only with your disposable income, which is the portion remaining after you have paid all of your essential and important bills. People get into trouble with irresponsible gambling when they start financing their gambling using money that should have been allocated to more important expenses such as their rent or mortgage. Similarly, you should never borrow money to pay for your gambling. If you ever use a credit card to buy chips or to make a deposit at an online casino, then you should always clear what you have spent at the end of the month. The last thing that you want to do is to pay interest charges on any gambling losses.
Knowing when to stop gambling is also important. If you find that you are having a losing streak, don’t keep throwing good money after bad. Once you have spent your budget, simply stop playing and come back another day; don’t keep on playing in the hope of winning back what you have lost. Similarly, if you are on a winning streak and you have won as much as you could reasonably expect, don’t keep on playing just to win more. If you do, then your winning streak could easily turn into a losing one. In other words, don’t chase your losses, and learn to quit when you are ahead.
This post was written by Dexter Jackson. Coming from Manchester, United Kingdom, Dexter’s hobbies include writing and recording music and gaming online. He also runs events to do with video games where people come to watch tournaments. Dexter is currently studying in his final year at university, reading Finance and Accountancy.