Responsible Gaming: How to Bet Without Developing an Addiction

As technologies evolve, online betting continues to take the world by storm. It makes perfect sense why online wagering has such immense popularity. When betting online, players can access a wide range of betting markets from their desktop or mobile device, depending on where they are. Numerous platforms offer lists of secure and legit go-to bookmakers within your location. For example, Kenyan punters can check Bet Helper to choose their perfect bookmaker. Online betting has become as easy as apple pie.

However, such hassle-free access to online betting services is a blessing in disguise for certain gamblers.

Gambling Addiction: Is It a Real Deal?

Risk-taking is embedded in human nature. Every day, whether it be placing online wagers or riding a snowboard, we participate in activities with both a risk and a reward potential. Unfortunately, gambling can overstimulate the brain's reward system, just like alcohol or drugs, which can lead to addiction. If you have an issue with compulsive betting, you can keep chasing wagers that end in losses, exhaust your savings, and pile up debts. You can hide your behavior or even resort to fraud or theft to feed your addiction. Honestly, gambling addiction is no joke.

Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling, is the irresistible drive to continue gambling despite the negative effects it has on your life. 

Possible Causes 

It is unclear what causes this type of disorder. Compulsive gambling may be brought on by a blend of biological, genetic, and environmental factors, as with many other addictions. Competitiveness, impulsivity, and anxiety are personal traits that may enhance the chance of developing a gambling addiction. Additionally, there may be a link between compulsive gambling and conditions like substance misuse, depression, and personality disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

Considered a hidden illness due to a lack of obvious physical symptoms, gambling addiction is a dangerous mental disorder. Below are some signs you need to start dealing with your gambling cravings.

❗️ You have trouble controlling your gambling urges. Can you put down your phone or sleep mode on your computer once you start gambling? If you cannot walk away from placing bets till you spend your last penny, maybe it’s time to reconsider your betting habits.

❗️ You hide your gambling pastime from family and friends. If you think others won't understand, you might gamble secretly or undervalue how much you wager. This is a serious warning sign.

❗️ You ignore other spheres of your life and neglect your chores for the sake of betting. If online wagering becomes the cornerstone of your life path, the menace of addiction is real.

❗️ Once you started betting, your monthly expenses increased dramatically. You might have lost control over your not-so-innocent hobby if you bet away the money saved for rent, groceries, or health care.

❗️ You deny you have a problem despite gambling your days away. Realizing that you do have a problem is the first and most essential step in recovering from a gambling addiction. This will require a lot of grit and guts, especially if you've experienced financial loss and strained or broken relationships along the road. 

Tips on How to Avoid Betting Addiction

Scary, huh? However, every cloud has a silver lining. Okay, addiction is quite a handful, but you can develop healthy betting habits and enjoy your hobby without any consequences. We outlined some tips on how to prevent a serious gambling disorder.

???? Make a plan. Scheme your betting performance ahead. Select the markets and odds you will wager on, review the statistics, and allocate your betting budget accordingly.

???? Set a time limit for your wagering activities. Try maintaining the work-fun balance and mix betting with other forms of entertainment and pastime.

???? Do not gamble when under the influence. If you are drunk or medicated, do not place wagers before you have a clear head. Decisions taken when intoxicated may be regrettable in the future.

???? Do not try to chase your losses. Never try to recover lost funds by playing more games.

???? Consider online betting as a form of fun and easy time. Never turn to gambling as a way to deal with stress, loneliness, or sadness. Your potential losses will drive you further into depression and a somber mood.

???? Distract yourself with other activities. If your betting cravings start dominating your thoughts, turn to other pleasant hobbies of yours. For example, enroll in the gym, do some yoga, or spend time with your loved ones.

???? Get a separate wallet for betting. This is a smart move, particularly if you've recently earned some extra funds. You can keep the money available for gambling separate from your regular budget by keeping it in a different wallet.

???? Sign up with legit betting platforms with a solid reputation. You do not need extra financial damages due to illegal betting activities on top of your lost bets. Check the list of the most secure and trusted Kenyan bookmakers on Bet Helper and choose the one that fits your needs.

Conclusion

Gambling addiction is not a myth. Betting addicts crave not the betting process per se but the chemical pathways that our brain creates while placing bets. Initiated by dopamine release, the same pleasurable reward pathways are activated while having sex or enjoying our favorite treats. Addiction is pure science. Therefore, it can be treated or avoided through science. Setting limits on expenses, establishing a time threshold, playing only for fun, and grasping how the games function are the steps required to stop your gambling addiction in its tracks. In the read above, we shared some tips that proved to be effective for preventing compulsive betting. We hope you will consider them and enjoy your safe betting adventures.