Responsible Gambling Guide: How to Practice Safe Gambling in 2025

The act of responsible gambling is absolutely key to all forms of gambling online. Without it, you could be at risk of serious financial issues, physiological problems and more. 

That’s why we’ve put together an extensive guide to the ins and outs of safe gambling. We’re going to be looking at some of the signs that you could be at risk of problem gambling. Moreover, we’re going to check out some of the best things you can do about that.

All online gamblers stay tuned. These are some of the most important pieces of information to consider.

Our Top Priority is Keeping Gambling Fun and Safe

At Gambling Industry News, responsible gambling is our number one priority for players. We’ve made sure to protect vulnerable players in every way that we can. We believe that safe gambling is key to any enjoyable online gambling experience. And that’s why we’ve put together this guide. 

What is Responsible Gambling?

‘Responsible gambling’ as a phrase simply refers to the act of staying safe while you gamble online. This could be for online casino gaming, sports betting, the lottery or anything else.

This is imperative to the online gambling experience for all players. You don’t have to be a problem gambler to consider it. But if you are looking for problem gambling help, you’re not alone. There are millions of people out there in the same position as you. And there’s a lot of support out there that you can get.

There are a number of free tools that all players will have at their disposal to help them out with responsible gambling. We’ll talk about those later on in this article

7 Signs of Problem Gambling

You might not consider yourself to be a ‘problem gambler’ as such. But this is actually more of an all-encompassing word than you might have realised. If you are noticing any of the following seven signs, you may have a problem gambling. These are the main problem gambling behavior warning signs. 

Chasing Losses

One of the main compulsive gambling symptoms amongst many players is to chase your losses. By this, we mean going over your bankroll in a bid to try to win back the money you have lost. This is one of the worst possible behaviors a gambler can indulge in, as it typically results in more losses. 

Lying about Habits

One key sign of a loss of control in gambling is to lie to your peers about your behavior. You might feel embarrassed about the situation that has arisen. As a result, you might feel the need to hide this away from your friends and family. However, not talking about these things can make the situation worse.

Borrowing Money to Gamble

In serious situations, players have been known to borrow money from friends and family, or the bank, to fund their gambling habit. When you don’t have enough money to gamble but can’t stop doing so, this can be a desperate resort. 

Feeling Anxious When Not Gambling

There’s a lot to be said for the withdrawal symptoms of online gambling. If you’re so used to doing it that you feel anxious without it, this is a sign of problem gambling. 

Gambling More Than You Can Afford

The financial harm from gambling is obviously one of the worst products of problem gambling. When this is overlooked by players, it can be serious. If you’re consistently going over your bankroll and spending more money than you wanted to, you’re likely at risk. 

Neglecting Responsibilities to Gamble

When online gambling starts to get in the way of the other things that you need to do in your life, this is a sign to stop. This could be gambling at work, or doing so while you’re supposed to be spending time with family.

Compounding Bad Habits

Problem gambling can often go hand in hand with other bad habits. For example, a lot of problem gamblers will also have problems with alcohol and drugs. 

Our Top Tips for Responsible Play in the US

Take a look at our list of responsible betting tips to find out how to stay safe while you gamble online. 

💡Take a Time Out Very Regularly 

It’s a good idea to give yourself at least a 15 minute break from gambling every hour or so. This can help to take you out of the moment, to minimize the risk of getting carried away. 

💡Set a Budget Before Every Gambling Session

You need to make sure that you stay in control of your spending while gambling online. To do this, decide how much you can afford to ‘lose’ every day, week, month etc. Never go over this.

💡Play at Fair Payout Games or With Reasonable Odds 

You can protect your bankroll more and potentially minimize losses by opting for fair gambling. Sign up for safe sites, and look for acceptable game payout rates and betting odds.

💡Consider Taking an Extended Break

It’s never a bad idea to give yourself a few months off from gambling. This can be a great way to get back in touch with the other things you love to do in your life. 

💡Don’t Forget to Reach Out to Support Channels 

There are so many support channels out there, and many of them are free of charge. Don’t forget that they’re there, as they can really be a game changer for recovering addicts.

💡Keep Using Responsible Gambling Tools After Recovery 

Once you manage to get to a place of safe gambling, it will be an amazing feeling. But the journey is not over yet. We need to consider gambling relapse prevention at this point. To do this, keep using deposit limits, cool off periods and more to stay in check. 

Resources for Problem Gambling

It’s really important to consider professional help if you believe you’re problem gambling. Fortunately, there are a number of gambling addiction resources available to you. We’ve put together a list of them below. 

National Council on Problem Gambling

If you want to know how to stop problem gambling, or to reduce your gambling, this is a great company to go to. The National Council on Problem Gambling is a nonprofit that has been looking after gamblers since all the way back in 1972. They run the gambling help hotline 1-800-GAMBLER.

What you should know:

• Is available nationwide 
• Operates the famous 1-800-GAMBLER hotline
• Has been around for over 50 years

Gamblers Anonymous 

You can get great gambling recovery support from Gamblers Anonymous as well. This is a 12 step program designed to help gambling addicts in a similar way to those addicted to substances. It confronts other areas of people’s lives that may be affecting their gambling behavior. 

What you should know:

• Provides players with 12 steps to gambling recovery 
• All meetings are free and completely confidential
• Families can get support through the prorgram too

GamTalk

The nonprofit that is GamTalk offers a set of resources to get people talking about gambling. They want people to have an honest and open dialogue with one another as an aid to help them move forwards.

What you should know:

• Totally free to use all the time 
• Scheduled live chat with support agents 
• Features other resources like self help tools

Gam-Anon

This service can act as a vital support group for people suffering with problem gambling. It focuses on your own recovery instead of ‘fixing’ the problem. This can be a real game changer for some players. 

What you should know:

• Provides virtual meetings free of charge 
• Allows for people to meet in person 
• Is the sister 12 step program to GA 

State-Specific Problem Gambling Resources

In some of the bigger states, players will be able to get support from a local authority. Of course, it depends on where you live as to whether you’ll benefit from this. But it’s certainly worth looking into if you’re based in the likes of California or New York. Here are a few examples.

• California Office of Problem Gambling
  https://problemgambling.ca.gov
• New York Council on Problem Gambling
  https://nyproblemgambling.org
• New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling
  https://800gambler.org
• Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health
  https://macgh.org
• Ohio for Responsible Gambling
  https://beforeyoubet.org
• Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB)
  https://responsibleplay.pa.gov

Self-Exclusion Programs

An online gambling self-exclusion could be just the ticket to help you out. Sometimes, a forced break is exactly what you need to reevaluate your relationship with gambling. And that’s exactly what self-exclusion is. 

A self-exclusion program or tool will block you from a gambling site or group of gambling sites for an amount of time that you’ll decide for yourself. 

Some self exclusions can be laid out through the bookmakers and casinos themselves. They’ll allow you to set a ‘cool off’ period of a set period of time where you cannot access your account.

There are also self-exclusions outside of the sites. These blocking tools will allow you to put down a wider ban.

Voluntary Exclusion Lists

A voluntary exclusion list is a type of self-exclusion program that features a group of sites. You won’t be able to block every single gambling site in one go, but it is a start. We’ll cover a few of these in the next section of this article. 

Deposit and Play Limits

One of the most effective problem gambling treatment options is simply to control how much you spend. Deposit limits are the best tool for this. They let you put a cap on how much you can pay every day, week, month or more. It may also be able to set up a time (or play) limit to control your betting time. 

Temporary or Permanent Account Blocks

Here, we’re talking about setting up a self-exclusion from an individual betting site. If you find yourself spending too much time on one site, you might be able to block yourself from it. This could be for a period of time, or forever. You can usually lift permanent blocks from a gambling site by reaching out to the customer support team for it. 

Blocking Tools

Self-exclusion blocking tools will mostly be set up on a state by state basis. They’ll allow you to block yourself from all of the casinos or sportsbooks licensed in that state. There are a couple of exceptions to this: BetBlocker and GamBan.

At the time of writing, there’s no way to block yourself from using all offshore sportsbooks or casinos. But you can get most of them with a combination of the following.

BetBlocker

This is one of the key blocking gambling websites. In fact, BetBlocker is one of the most effective out there as it helps you block yourself from 1000s of gambling sites all in one go. However, it’s new to the US so it will take some time to get there. It was set up in the UK originally.

GamBan

Another effective gambling blocking tool that gets you away from 1000s of sites is GamBan. This one will cost a little money unless you’re based in California, in which case it will be free. But for the small fee, it can be totally worth it.

New Jersey Self-Exclusion Program

Here’s one of the many state specific gambling exclusion tools out there. Using the New Jersey Self-Exclusion Program will block you from all gambling sites licensed in NJ. 

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) Self-Exclusion

If you’re based in PA, consider using the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Self-Exclusion tool. This will get you off of all PGCB licensed sites.

Protecting Your Family from Irresponsible Gambling

It’s crucial that we consider support for affected others as well as ourselves when it comes to gambling. Here are some tips that we’ve put together to help you do just that.

✅ Monitor Internet Activity if You’re Suspicious

This can be a difficult thing to approach, but monitoring the internet activity of a loved one might prove to be essential to keep them safe while gambling online.

✅ Set a Good Example

We all know how important it is to lead by example. If you’re seen to be gambling, it’s going to set a precedent to the problem gambler in question. Avoid it yourself when you can, or at least minimize it.

✅ Teach the Importance of Money Management

You never want to sound patronizing when talking to your family. But there’s never a bad time to talk about how important it is to be smart with your money. You could give some tips from your own experience.

✅ Be Supportive

This one might seem obvious, but a lot of people overlook simply being supportive. You don’t even have to do a whole lot to show your support. Just be there for your family member, and try to show empathy. 

✅ Open Up a Conversation About Loot Boxes

These days, younger children are effectively getting into gambling from young ages by buying loot boxes in video games. It’s a bit of a legal grey area, and one that we hope gets fixed soon. But for the time being, make sure you’re vigilant of these and try to show that they are, indeed, a form of gambling. 

Where to Turn When Gambling Feels Out Of Control

What should be your first port of call when you realize that gambling is becoming a problem for you? First things first, we recommend setting up responsible gambling tools if you haven’t done so already.

If they don’t help, it’s best to speak to friends and family. Keeping things to yourself is never going to help. Next, you can explore the likes of 1-800-GAMBLER and look for further support. Remember, there are countless resources out there. You’re never alone.

How to Help a Loved One With a Gambling Addiction

We’ve talked about the things you can do to prevent a loved one from problem gambling in the first place. But if someone turns to you for help, or if you can clearly see that they are struggling. It’s time to step in.

The first thing we recommend doing is having an honest, kind and nurturing conversation about responsible gambling. Make sure they know that you’re there for them, and they may commit to slowing down there and then. If nothing changes, it might be time to refer them to one of the resources for problem gambling we discussed earlier on, like Gamblers Anonymous.

What Responsible Gambling Looks Like

We’ve given you some tips on how to gamble responsibly already. But, before we wrap up, let’s remind ourselves of what it really means to stay safe while betting online.

• Using deposit limits: Never neglect a deposit limit. It’s a crucial part of online gambling for all players. 

• Keeping it about fun: Is online gambling starting to feel like a chore rather than something you enjoy? If so, it’s time to stop. 

• Never chasing losses: If you’ve lost some money from online gambling, just cut ties. It happens. The chance of winning it back is slim, and you could lose more. 

Responsible Gambling: The Conclusion

So, what does it mean for you to gamble responsibly? Making sure that you never chase your losses and continue to have fun are probably the main things. Spotting the symptoms of problem gambling early will really help you to avoid it taking control of your life. 

We hope that you now know what to do if you feel like things are getting out of hand, having read this article. There are a lot of support channels and tools out there available to you. You’re never alone, and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Just remember that when the gambling becomes a chore and the fun stops, it’s time to take a break and get some help. 

Key Takeaways:

• Deposit limits are integral to online gambling 

• It’s important to take regular gambling breaks

• There are various support channels and resources available

• Everybody should practice responsible gambling

James Hall