Safer Gambling Week 2024: Key Tips for Maintaining Healthy Gambling Habits

Tips for Healthy Gambling

Some of the key tips for maintaining healthy gambling habits may sound like common sense but part of the problems that surround problem gambling is not knowing or even looking past these ‘seemingly easy’ solutions. The first tip is to set your limits and stick to them. These can be limits to time and/or money, both of which can easily slip away and be hard to track if you don’t set yourself a specific goal.

Understanding the odds and playing responsibly is another great tip if you want to keep your gambling at a healthy stage. Knowing the games you are playing and which ones having a higher skill set compared to those which are purely down to luck and chance can help you set a realistic expectation of your time gambling. Avoid chasing those losses if things aren’t going your way (or even if they are) – it’s key to set your limit and play for enjoyment and not to try and win back what you’ve maybe lost.

Similar to setting limits is just being able to tell yourself when to take a break. With both in person gambling, as well as online gambling, it can be easy to lose track of time and staring at screens, whether than be a computer or phone screen, can make time fly much faster than it seems. Setting yourself reminders of when to take breaks can help mental clarity and clear thinking which is vital and helps to reduce stress, frustration and curbs to impulsive behaviours.

Another key tip when it comes to maintaining healthy gambling habits is to track your gambling and keep an eye on any harmful or addictive behaviours you may be engaging in. Tracking tools can help you watch your spending and stop you before it becomes harmful. Educate yourself on how to gamble responsibly as well as the risks involved in financial loss and addictive behaviours, they often go hand-in-hand and recognising the signs and reasons why they occur are very impactful in stopping them.

Self-Exclusion

A key aspect of Safer Gambling Week is the fact that it draws attention to how self-exclusion works and can be beneficial for those who need a more concrete barrier to cut them off from harmful gambling habits. Self-exclusion is a tool in which gamblers can voluntarily ban themselves from gambling for a set period of time. It’s designed to give individuals more control over their spending and gambling habits and prevent any further harm associated with excessive gambling. Many gambling platforms (both in-person and online) offer these self-exclusion schemes and SGW seeks to promote these schemes and remove any surrounding stigma.