How to Bet Responsibly and What to Do When You Can't

A Different Form of Paid Entertainment

Truly, we all need some entertainment. It’s not possible to constantly focus on work and obligations. Most entertainment options available in New Zealand at the moment cost money. A trip to the cinema, tickets for the opera, or even an evening at a cafe or bar with friends all come with a price. All of these require us to spend money, and similarly, playing online gambling games is no different.

So, what’s the difference one may ask? Essentially, the difference lies in the fact that you have the chance to win some NZD when playing games online or roulette or anything else. However, many times it is this excitement or anticipation that can get you into real trouble. It is important to know how to gamble responsibly, and if you can’t do that, you need to learn how.

The Responsible Gambler Starts First with Research

Every time you try something for the first time, you should first ensure that a little research precedes to understand exactly what you are dealing with. There is really no reason to rush and proceed blindly. Would you play a game like roulette if you didn’t even know the rules? We can say that similar things are observed in any form of online gambling.

You can quickly check some websites that exist at the moment in New Zealand. There is no reason to sign up and start playing at this point. We are simply talking about research, so just take a look. Check the terms and conditions of each website. In case you find words whose meaning you are not familiar with, such as “betting requirements,” for example, conduct more specific research on those terms. Check social networks and chat websites related to gambling.

Setting specific limits before you start playing games of chance is crucial

 Setting a monetary limit before you begin is a good starting point for practising ethical and responsible gaming. You should already be aware of how much money you have left after paying bills and living expenses for yourself and your family. These are the only funds you should risk, and never attempt to spend money you cannot afford to lose.

Setting a time limit on the gambling activities you engage in is equally important

Once you have decided on the monetary limit, the next step is to play responsibly.

Simultaneously, establish a specific time limit for each of your online gaming sessions. Unfortunately, it is easy to be carried away by the moment. This essentially means that the more you play, the more likely you are to lose money. Therefore, set a specific time limit from the beginning and adhere to it without second thoughts.

Check your behaviour every time you play games of chance

 It’s always good to start with good intentions. However, if your expectations ultimately fall through, as soon as you start playing online games of chance, you may find yourself in a mess. So, the next part of IcasinoReviews’ article about responsible gambling focuses on keeping yourself in check.

Make Sure to be Especially Careful with the Offers

It is a fact that most players engaging in games of chance in New Zealand start betting online, claiming some welcome offers. This is, after all, the most popular type of offer. All casinos have them to attract new players to their online platforms. These offers may initially seem very generous, and players often claim them and win some money. At this point, they realize that they cannot withdraw their winnings until they fulfil the wagering requirement of the offer.

This is a classic example of when a New Zealand player may not read the terms and financial limitations set by the offer as part of responsible gambling. What has been observed is that enthusiasm and additional deposits eventually take over the mind. On your part, you must not let something like this happen.

Remember that the Casino Usually Wins

In the realm of online gambling, whether we’re talking about free games on the internet or tabletop games, there is a mathematical advantage in favour of the casino expressed through RTP (Return to Player). The lowest advantage of this kind (known as the house edge) is typically 1.5%, and this applies to certain variations of blackjack. If the house edge is 1.5%, it means that the RTP is correspondingly 98.5%. You will never see an RTP of 100% or a higher percentage, meaning that you will lose in the long run with mathematical precision. Understanding this issue is of fundamental importance for responsible gambling.

The team at IcasinoReviews fully acknowledges that you can surpass estimates and win in the short term. However, over a longer period or in many games, you will lose.

Don’t fall for the players’ betting fallacy

The “betting fallacy” is the mistaken belief that repeating conditions will replicate a previous win. However, this is never the case. All legal online casinos with licenses have RNG (Random Number Generators), software that determines the outcome of games, whether they are free online games, slots, card games, or anything else. The fact that we are dealing with something “random,” and understanding this factor, is absolutely crucial for learning responsible gambling.

The explanation of “random” in a dictionary is “an outcome that occurs without a specific aim, reason, or pattern.” Online betting platforms invest a significant amount of money in independent control and certification of their RNG software to ensure they produce random, fair results in every game of chance. IcasinoReviews, from its side, is able to confirm that repeated circumstances and resulting outcomes are nothing but random events.

Utilizing Responsible Gambling Tools

If you wish to take your approach to responsible gambling to the next level, you might want to “customize” your own limits using the tools offered by the online casinos you use. Below are some of the most popular tools you can find.

Responsible gambling betting limit tool

This tool allows you to set a daily, weekly, or monthly limit on money deposits. Note that it is not affected by transfers of money between different wallets or any withdrawals you may make. Any increases you attempt will not apply for 7 days, while requested decreases will take effect immediately.

Financial loss limit tool

Our team at IcasinoReviews can inform you that chasing your financial losses is a bad idea. It’s an easy way to simply increase the losses you already have. However, with a financial loss limit tool, you can restrict the amount you are capable of losing or transferring within a specific time period.

Responsible gaming break tool

New Zealand players who gamble and are experiencing a losing streak can use this tool to suspend their access to the casino for 1 to 30 days.

Other tools that can help you gamble responsibly include:

• Budget Calculation Tool – This helps you analyze your income and expenses to reach a possible betting budget.
• Reality Check – This tool considers any real money games you play. It operates every time you place a bet. It applies per session, and you receive a report after each session. It is informative, not restrictive.
• Responsible Gambling Self-Assessment – This tool asks you a series of questions about your activities in gambling. Based on your answers, it will indicate whether you are gambling responsibly or if you may be facing a problem.

One last tool you can use is self-exclusion, which we will delve into further below.

What to do if You Feel You Can’t Stop Gambling

If you feel that you want to stop gambling but find it challenging to do so, it would be advisable to use a self-exclusion tool. This is the ultimate step that every New Zealand player should take when fearing that they cannot play games of chance responsibly.

Self-exclusion may also be referred to as self-banning. It is a step taken voluntarily. Once in effect, it completely excludes a player from areas of gambling websites or from any online betting site. All online gambling sites available in New Zealand are required to provide this option to their customers.

You can find various self-exclusion programs in New Zealand, which tend to operate in similar ways.

1. Select the online platform from which you wish to exclude yourself.
2. Sign an agreement or electronically submit a responsible statement to self-exclude for a period of not less than 6 months.

The advice that IcasinoReviews gives to players in New Zealand is to think twice before activating the self-exclusion command. Once activated, this command cannot be revoked until the requested exclusion period expires, and for at least 6 months.

If you believe you need help, here are several support organizations with which you can discuss how to play games of chance responsibly before making any hasty decisions that you might regret later – organizations such as GamCare and BeGambleAware.org. You may also find it helpful to read the guide “Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling” on the helpguide.org website.