Schools tend to avoid diving into taboo subjects such as alcohol, drugs, gambling etc. It’s very common to just be taught that any form of gambling is dangerous and should be avoided. But would it not be better to teach how to gamble safely? this would be much more useful. Because let’s face it, if people want to gamble, they’re going to. So it would be much more benefical to implement how to do so safely and securly. Ensuring that children (young adults in particular) are aware of all the possible dangers of gambling is important of course. They should have access to information and the negative impacts it can have on your life when your gambling spirals out of control. However, they should be taught that if they still wish to, there’s measures to put in place to ensure you do it the right way. It can be a great form of entertainment and doesn’t have to be a negative activity.
These are the top steps that we’d suggest looking out for if you want to gamble responsbility…
Only gamble what you can afford to loose
This one may seem fairly obvious but many people make the mistake of gambling more than they can afford. They go into gambling with the optimistic mindset that they’ll make more money. But it’s important to be realistic and not expect anything in return. If you find yourself starting to consider gambling with money you need for bills, food or any other essential and important things – stop. This is an unhealthy way or gambling and can lead to serious financial impacts as well as being detrimetal to many aspects of your life.
Set yourself healthy limits
Before gambling (online or at a land-based casino) work out how much time and money you want to spend. Set yourself healthy goals and stick to them. Setting yourself a time limit will allow you to gamble resonsibly and not overconsume in the gaming. And of course, if you set yourself a spend limit you will never walk away feeling distraught. You will never run the risk of loosing too much money because you already went into it knowing how much you could loose. Never spend more money than you set out to spend. That way any wins you make will be an added bonus.
Only gamble when you’re in a good headspace
This is extremely important! Never gamble if you’re in a bad mental headspace. This can cause you to make irrational decisions that you won’t normally choose to make. And when this comes to your finances it can be extremely deterimental. If you’re stressed, tired, angry or feeling any other negative emotions it’s definitely a good idea to stay away from gambling. Because loosing any money will only make you feel worse.
Take a break & mix with other hobbies
If you love gambling that’s fine. But know when to take a break! If you feel like you’re having too many gambling sessions and it’s taking a lot of time – it might be time to take a little break. Ensure that you’re not getting addicted and still gambling responsibility. It’s important to have other activities you enjoy for entertainment too.