Our Commitment to Responsible Gambling
Whilst for most people, gambling is a fun activity done in their free time, for some people, gambling can become a serious problem. Everyone should make sure that the way they gamble does not create any harm to themselves and the people around them. Our responsible gambling section will provide you with tips on how to gamble safely. You can also find information on global help organisations and resources should you or someone you know need support.
CasinoTopsOnline Responsible Gambling Pledge
At CasinoTopsOnline, we are committed to promoting safe and responsible gambling as we implement several initiatives to make sure we equip you with all the information and tools for a safe gambling experience.
Some of these initiatives include only promoting licensed and trustworthy casinos, rating and scoring the casino brands using our rating process, CasinoTopsOnline TrustScore and providing help and tips so that you can play online safely.
What Is Responsible Gambling?
Responsible Gambling refers to taking the necessary steps to ensure that your gambling activities are done in a way to minimise the risk of experiencing gambling problems. Trustworthy casinos offer many tools and information on how you can play at their site safely. Several authorities including the Malta Gaming Authority and the United Gambling Commission enforce Responsible Gambling related regulations such as mandatory tools and limits that a casino has to offer to its players as well as KYC checks that need to be conducted.
Tips for Betting Online
Following these tips can help you stay safe when gambling:
- Play for fun. Gambling should not be used for income
Gambling is not a way to make money, in the long run, the casino venue or site is the one making the money. Gambling should be a leisure activity. We recommend that you balance gambling with other hobbies so that it won’t be the only pastime during your free time.
- Play with money you can afford to lose
Just like you budget for monthly expenses, you should allocate money for gambling from your entertainment budget. If you cannot set aside money for gambling avoid using money that you would need to pay necessities such as rent, bills, food and medicines. Most importantly do not borrow money from other people to gamble.
- Do not chase your losses
If you’re having a bad run, the best thing to do is to switch off and walk away. Chasing your losses until you win some of the money back could result in bigger losses. This could make you stressed and upset which in turn will make it harder for you to focus and make clear decisions.
- Set time and monetary limits before you start gambling
By setting time and monetary limits in advance, you can control how much time and money you’re spending on gambling. Once your allocated time is up or you’ve reached your deposit/loss limit, call it and quit. It’s also recommended to take breaks so that you do not lose track of time.
- Do not gamble under the influence
Having good judgement and a clear head is important to ensure safe gambling. Gambling under the influence will lower your resolve and make it easier for you to lose control and make irrational decisions.
List of Helpful Tools to Help Players Stay in Control
- Deposit Limits - daily, weekly or monthly monetary limits to control how much you're depositing into your casino account. These limits can be increased, decreased or removed.
- Loss Limits - these limits will be triggered when you lose a predetermined amount whilst gambling.
- Reality Checks - a message will be triggered to help you keep track of time.
- Calculator - a budget calculator will help you figure out how much money from your income you're spending on gambling.
- Session Limits - you can specify the amount of time you wish to be logged in. Once the session limit is reached, you will be logged out of your casino account.
- Self-Assessments - a set of questions that will help you find out how much your life is being impacted by gambling.
- Self Exclusion - you can ask a casino operator to exclude you from gambling for at least 6 months. You can also choose to be permanently self-excluded, this option is non-reversible.
Spot the Signs of Problem Gambling
Issues with gambling arise over time making it hard to recognise that you have an issue early. The signs mentioned below are the most common signs of problem gambling, there may be others that we have not mentioned.
- Unable to stop: you’ll do anything to continue gambling including missing work, university and other events.
- Chasing losses: believing that you can turn your luck around and win back what you lost.
- Lying to friends and family: finding yourself having to hide your gambling activities such as hiding gambling transactions and lying about how much time you’re spending on casino sites
- Irrational behaviour: having unexplained changes to your personality, experiencing mood swings or episodes of irritation, particularly after a gambling session.
- Money problems: your finances are not looking good, or you’ve borrowed money for gambling that you are unable to pay back
Protecting Underage Children from Gambling
Underage gambling is illegal. The minimum gambling age may differ from one country to another or from one province to another. For example, in the UK, the minimum gambling age is 18. In Alberta Canada, the minimum gambling age is 18, whereas in Ontario you have to be 19 to gamble legally.
Nowadays, casinos are also held responsible to monitor for and prevent underage gambling. Part of obtaining a license is to have processes such as Know Your Customer and age verification in place. KYC is used by the casino whereby it conducts checks to make sure that the player’s identity is true and also to verify that the funds used for gambling come from a legitimate source. The casino will ask for ID verification such as an ID card, passport or driver’s license. With these documents, the casino can verify that the player is of legal age.
Tips for Protecting Minors from Gambling Online
There are several ways in which you can prevent minors from gambling.
- Don’t leave accounts logged in and avoid having passwords and payment information saved. This is very important especially if you share the devices you gamble on with underage persons.
- Invest in website blocking software such as Netnanny. These blocking software and apps will further limit access to sites for underage persons.
- Use parental controls. This setting will ensure that minors cannot access inappropriate content such as gambling sites.
- Limit the time children spend online and if possible do not let them use the internet unsupervised.
Where to Get Help
Recognising that you or someone you know has a problem, is the first step. It’s important to know that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of and there are several organisations ready to help you with any questions you may have.
Gambling Addiction Support in the United Kingdom
If you are experiencing problems with their gambling activities, you can opt to self-exclude yourself for a period by registering with GamStop or download apps such as GamBan to block access to gambling sites and apps. In addition, you can also contact the organisations listed below.
Gamcare
GamCare has been offering gambling support for over 25 years. Operating the National Gambling Helpline, these specialists offer treatment for anyone experiencing gambling issues. They also offer tips and information promoting safe gambling.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/
- Phone: 0808 8020 133
- WhatsApp: 020 3031 8881
- A live chat bubble can be found in the bottom right corner of the site.
Gamblers Anonymous UK
A community where ex-gamblers and players with gambling issues share their experiences to help each other recover from their gambling problems. There are several meetings held on various days throughout the week.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0330 094 0322
BeGambleAware
BeGambleAware offers confidential support to anyone experiencing gambling issues. BeGambleAware is in partnership with several other expert organisations and the NHS and its services can be accessed by anyone in England, Scotland and Wales.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.begambleaware.org/
- Phone: 0808 8020 133
Gordon Moody
Gordon Moody is a charity offering advice, support and treatment to help you overcome gambling problems. Gordon Moody offers a variety of services including residential treatment, retreat programmes combining short residential stays with at-home counselling sessions as well as crypto trading addiction support.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://gordonmoody.org.uk/
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 01384 241292
Gambling Addiction Support in Canada
Around 3% of Canadian players are estimated to suffer from gambling problems. Youcan find help either within your province or you can contact one of the global organisations below.
Responsible Gambling Council
It is a non-profit organisation with over 35 years of experience in helping people with gambling problems in Canada as well as overseas.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.responsiblegambling.org/
- Phone: 1 (416)-499-9800
- Contact form: https://www.responsiblegambling.org/about-rgc/contact-us/
Connex Ontario
Connex Ontario provides information for mental health services including addiction. Specialists will answer your call, email or text 24/7 and provide you with information about services that you may need whilst offering support.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.connexontario.ca/
- Phone: 1-866-531-2600
- Email: https://www.connexontario.ca/en-ca/send-email
- Chat: https://www.connexontario.ca/Chat
Gamtalk
Gamtalk provides online support for gambling problems. It’s a community space where people share their experiences with gambling issues. Scheduled sessions are held every Tuesday between 6-8 pm PST.
Contact Information:
- Website: https://www.gamtalk.org/
- Live chat: https://www.gamtalk.org/chat/
Gambling Addiction Support in the US
In the US, around 1% of adult players have experienced gambling issues. Each state in the US has its own gambling addiction help organisations. However, you can get access to nationwide support from the entities below.
National Council on Problem Gambling
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has been advocating for safe gambling for over 50 years. From increasing awareness to overseeing the national helpline network. the NCPG provides support across all states.
Contact Information:
- Website: www.ncpgambling.org/
- Live Chat: www.ncpgambling.org/chat
- Phone: 1-800-522-4700
1-800-GAMBLER
Operating for over 20 years, this organisation has provided gambling addiction support to over 15,000 people. Although it is based in West Virginia, the Problem Gambling Help Network of WV does offer its services outside the state.
Contact Information:
- Website: www.1800gambler.net/
- Phone: 1-800-426-2537
- Email: [email protected]
- A live chat bubble can be found in the bottom right corner of the site.
If you don't have a 304/681 area code, you can call on 304-344-2883 instead.
Play Safe
Gambling can become addictive. We urge you to gamble responsibly and to stop when it’s no longer fun. If you start noticing any problem gambling signs, it is recommended to speak out and seek help.
