Special Report: Online Casinos Help Players Gamble Responsibly

According to a recent article published in a daily Ohio paper, more than a thousand potential gamblers have banned themselves from the state's casinos. For over two years now, Ohio's casino control commission has been running a voluntary exclusion program which targets problematic gambling habits. Signing up with the program involves paperwork and discussions with the enforcing arms of the state's casinos; these voluntary bans can last anywhere from one year to five years or even a lifetime.

Online Casino Self-Exclusion Programs

Self-exclusion programs as preventative measures from problematic gambling habits are a long time feature at most of the net's trusted and high quality online casinos. While these are not as harsh as the program in Ohio, they provide players who are worried they are prone to problematic gambling with many tools to tackle the situation.

"Take a Break" at 888 Casino

888 Casino is a good example for a simple and efficient self-exclusion program: 888 offers players a "Take a Break" period where their accounts are restricted for a defined amount of time; new accounts players on "break" will attempt to open will be blocked, and 888 will take all reasonable measures to prevent promotional material reaching these players. Players can set these breaks from anywhere between one week and six months.

bet365's Customizable Programs

Another market leader, bet365, offers players with self-exclusion periods of up to five years. The program is customizable: Players can choose to have their access restricted from only a specific site like sports betting or poker. Once it has been set, bet365 defines the account in "opt-out" time. The site strongly advises self-excluded players to block all mobile notifications from the site.

Deposit Limits at CasinoUK

CasinoUK is one of the biggest online casinos catering to UK players. It offers a strict six-month self-exclusion period during in which no promotional materials will be sent to the player. CasinoUK sets some harsh requirements for activating an account after a self-exclusion period, namely – it does not contact the player with a reminder after the time has passed.

More than that, CasinoUK has a solution for "mild" cases when players feel they've gone overboard: The cool-off period lets them have their accounts for up to one week, when they have to contact the casino in order to get it unlocked. Deposit limits are another creative solution offered by CasinoUK: It lets players determine if they want to limit daily, weekly or monthly deposits, or lock their accounts from depositing for predetermined timeframes.

Signs of Problematic Gambling

Players who are not sure about their gambling habits should be aware of problematic symptoms such as gambling interfering their work/school time, deeply affecting their mood, feeling a strong need to gamble their wins or using gambling as escapism. If you have any doubt about your gaming habits, immediately let your loved ones/friends know and seek professional help. For example, GamCare is an organization which provides support and consultancy to anyone affected by problematic gambling. Please gamble safely and responsibly!