Online gambling is a popular pastime that involves betting on games, sports events, or horse races. Players can use real money to play these games, but it’s important to be aware of the risks associated with online gambling. Before you decide to hand over your euros, pounds, or dollars, make sure that the casino site is licensed and offers a secure payment system. It’s also a good idea to look for sites that accept your local currency, and make sure you’re eligible to make real-money transactions.
Most states have legalised online gambling in some form, although Utah and Hawaii remain the only two to ban it entirely. The reason for this is due to the states’ religious beliefs, which are strongly opposed to online gambling. However, many residents of these states still use offshore websites to gamble legally. Fortunately, the federal government has decided to relax its regulations concerning online gambling. It will now allow the states to regulate it as long as they don’t offer sports betting or lottery games.
While regulators and industry aim to minimise gambling harm, changes in access have undermined the effectiveness of self-regulatory tools for many problem gamblers. In particular, treatment-seekers reported that the increased speed and ease of gambling facilitated impulsive behaviour, persistence, and loss-chasing. They also reported limited uptake and use of current harm minimisation tools.
Among non-treatment-seekers, however, few harmful effects were reported of changes in online gambling access. These included fewer barriers to withdrawal and the availability of a wider range of bet types. Rather, most of these non-treatment-seekers reported that they prioritised their families’ welfare and knew when to stop or set limits on their betting.
The best way to avoid addiction to online gambling is to replace it with healthy activities and to seek support. This can include avoiding triggers, finding healthy activities to replace them, and seeking help from GamCare. It’s also important to remember that gambling isn’t always fun, and you should never feel guilty about spending time on it.