A common phrase in gambling that you hear on British television all the time is ‘When the Fun Stops, Stop.’ It’s another step towards helping those who are having problems with their gambling but is it a phrase that is really helping people?
The aims of the phrase are admirable, but can’t they realize that it’s just not an easy task to just stop gambling. What do we get next? Is it going to be ‘When you think you’re smoking too much, Stop.’ Just like smoking or taking drugs, gambling is an addiction and you can’t just stop because it’s not fun anymore. Don’t the people who make these statements realize that some people would love nothing more to stop, but without help just can’t do it and whether they are having fun or not has nothing to do with it.
Do they Really Want Them to Leave?
Gambling sites have lots of advice on this subject but is it there because they’d be criticized if it wasn’t? After all, it is a bit like a butcher’s shop having a sign in their store telling people of the dangers of eating red meat and suggesting you go vegan.
Then there’s the Reality Check that is seen on many websites. You can set a time for the check to come up, telling you how long you have been playing and how you’ve been getting on. A nice touch, but again it puts the responsibility on the actual gambler. It’s easy not to set the check or ignore what it says.
Self-Exclusion Not Working
Self -exclusion from sites is another option but again one that isn’t working. A BBC report showed that gamblers who’d gone down that route could join sites again, just by changing their user details. So, someone can accept they have a problem, do something about It, relapse and end up back where they started. Obviously, much more work is needed in this problematic area.
