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| Guerassim Nikolov Discusses
Responsible Gambling |
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Gambling can be a fun
and exciting way to pass some time, either alone or with friends, at a casino
or racetrack, or in the comfort of your own home online. Gambling encourages a
natural high, causing the body to release floods of hormones including
endorphins and adrenalin, even when the gambler is losing.
For people
with good self-control, this makes gambling an enjoyable past-time. However,
there are always those that will become addicted to the high and gamble
irresponsibly, which in the long-term can have devastating consequences.
Bookmakers and other gambling establishments will of course want to
encourage the highest number of customers to place as many bets as possible, as
that is the nature of their business, but this does not necessarily mean they
are encouraging irresponsible gambling.
Guerassim
Nikolov is the founder of SportPesa, where all members of staff are trained
in Responsible Gambling and Social Responsibility awareness and plenty of
helpful advice is provided to help customers stay within their own reasonable
limits.
Treat Gambling as
an Entertainment Expense
Gambling is designed to be a form of
entertainment, rather than something which creates a stream of income. People
who gamble more than they can afford – thinking they will win big –
are often the ones who end up dealing with gambling addiction or problem
gambling.
Budgeting for gambling should be done in the same way as
budgeting for any event, treat or night out and treated as an affordable
expense, such as buying a cinema ticket. The way gambling works is that the
house will always win eventually; anyone who goes in thinking they will
consistently make money will eventually be shown they are
mistaken.
Set
Limits
To avoid throwing good money after bad, it is important to
set limits before beginning to gamble. This can be easy if going to a physical
establishment such as a racetrack, football match or casino, as the money can
be taken in cash in a finite amount. Taking measures such as leaving bank cards
and credit cards at home can help curb any desires that may occur in the moment
to spend more than you can afford.
When gambling online, most sites
will allow customers to set limits and send them warnings when they near or
exceed those limits to help remind them when to stop. The same goes for setting
time limits; it is easier to lose more money if you sit and gamble for hours on
end.
Choose Your
Game
A large part of choosing where you gamble is finding a game
that you enjoy. This might be watching a sporting event and betting on the
outcome, playing games of luck such as roulette or slots, or playing games that
are more skill-based such as poker.
No matter what game you choose,
learn the rules and learn the odds so you can bet accordingly. Poker might
offer some of the best odds at the casino for some hands, but there are other
hands that offer the worst possible odds. Don’t start playing a game with
real money until you understand how it works.
Time-Out and Self-Exclusion
SportPesa
offers every customer the option to take a time-out or enter a self-exclusion
period. During this time, the company takes measures to disallow any new
accounts being set up with the same personal information and does not send any
promotional or marketing materials to that customer. This can be a great option
for anyone worried that their gambling might be getting out of hand, or who
wants to set definite limits for themselves that cannot be broken.
If
you are worried about your (or someone else’s) gambling, there is help
available. For more information, visit
www.begambleaware.org. |
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