There’s no denying that gambling can be a fun experience, particularly when it’s done online from the comfort of your home. However, when you play for real money, it’s essential to take precautions and not wager and especially lose more than you had initially planned or can afford.
Fortunately, today’s modern world now gives customers ways of keeping their gambling under control from services that limit how much you can lose to services that completely block you from all gambling websites. Find out how online tech is helping promote responsible gambling.
Bank Restrictions
Many banks in the UK now allow customers to block gambling transactions from their accounts. When this option is enabled, it means that all gambling transactions will automatically be declined, stopping customers from spending money unnecessarily. Customers are free to turn the restriction off, but it can take a few days for the reversal to take place.
This service only began to launch in the last few years, but more and more banks have started offering it. Banks like Halifax and HSBC were the most recent firms to launch the service, following on from lenders such as Monzo, the Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank, Barclays and Sterling.
Loss Limits
Many online casinos have loss limit services which prevent you from losing more than you can afford. Once you exceed the self-set restrictions, you will get blocked from playing until the, e.g. next month or week. It’s a great little tool to make sure you allow yourself the breathing space you need to make online gambling a fun experience!
It’s important to note that, at most online casinos, setting loss limits is an optional tool, which you need to switch on manually. The only casino that makes this functionality mandatory is Videoslots by forcing you to set a maximum loss limit during the registration process. You can change the limit amount at any change as long as you do to have a self-restriction in place.
Lock Withdrawals
One of the biggest problems surrounding online gambling is that players can reverse withdrawals once requested. Most online casinos allow customers to cancel their withdrawals, reverting the money into their account to be used and, in most cases, lost. It frequently happens when online casinos take days to process payments, causing many customers to reverse the transaction due to impatience.
However, a few online casinos are countering this problem by introducing lock withdrawals. It’s a feature that, once you requested the payout, you’re unable to change your mind. The money will forcibly be transferred into your account. Learn more about casinos with fair payouts.
BetBlocker & GamSTOP
BetBlocker and GameStop are two self-exclusion charities and online services which can stop you from gambling. BetBlocker is an app that is installed on devices and once enabled, blocks all online gambling websites in the UK. The app allows users to select the length of their exclusion, from hours to days, weeks and even months.
GameStop works similarly. This service requires you to register by filling in your name, email address, date of birth and postcode. It allows you to select the length of your exclusion period ranging from hours to months and years, and once enabled, will exclude you from gambling at online websites within the UK. Once the exclusion period has passed, it will remain in force until it is manually removed.
You can see how online services are helping to promote responsible gambling and reduce player overspending and losses. While these services aren’t perfect, they’ve helped protect players and keep their gambling behaviour in check.
