Responsible Gaming

At Online Blackjack, we take the topic of responsible gaming seriously. We all love to win, but it is important to remember that gambling is a recreational activity, and not something that should become a habit.

The fact of the matter is that anyone can become a problem gambler, and there is no one set way that somebody becomes one. Because the issue of addiction is tricky, we urge all players to be proactive in identifying and combatting problem gambling behavior.

There are many groups that support responsible gambling throughout the world, with Gamblers Anonymous, GamCare, the Responsible Gambling Council, and more taking on the issue headfirst. You can visit any of these sites for information on identifying problem gambling behaviors and also seek out free help.

A self-assessment test has also been put out by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Association, which can help you identify whether or not you have a problem.

Gamblers Anonymous also has a list of 20 questions to ask yourself related to your gambling behavior. If you answer yes to seven or more of these questions, you may want to seek out help:

1 Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2 Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3 Did gambling affect your reputation?
4 Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5 Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6 Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7 After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win you’re your losses?
8 After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9 Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10 Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11 Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12 Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13 Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14 Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15 Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness?
16 Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17 Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18 Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19 Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20 Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

The bottom line is that everybody should take responsible gambling seriously, and if you need help, get it. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out assistance if you need it, and you can save yourself and the people you love a lot of heartache by making sure you play responsibly.