Staying in Control
Am I a Compulsive Gambler?
If you find yourself asking this question, it may already be cause for concern. In order to help you assess your risk, we encourage you to fill in this questionnaire, based on the Gamblers Anonymous self-assessment survey.
In terms of evaluation, keep in mind that most compulsive gamblers answer “yes” to at least seven of the following questions:
- Have you ever missed work or school due to gambling?
- Have you ever had problems in your home life due to gambling?
- Has gambling affected your reputation?
- Have you ever felt regret after gambling?
- Have you ever gambled to pay off debts or fix financial problems?
- Has gambling caused a decrease in your efficiency or ambition?
- If you lose, do you feel an urgent need to win back your losses?
- If you win did you have an urge to keep playing and win more?
- Have you often gambled away your last dollar?
- Have you ever borrowed money to finance your gambling?
- Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?
- Do you refuse to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
- Has gambling made you careless of yours/your family’s welfare?
- Have you ever gambled for longer than planned?
- Have you ever gambled to escape your worries or troubles?
- Have you considered or committed a crime to finance gambling?
- Have you ever had difficultly sleeping as a result of gambling?
- Do life's frustrations make you want to gamble?
- Do you think gambling is a good way to celebrate good fortune?
- Has gambling ever caused you to contemplate suicide?
How to Control Your Gambling
Playing online casino games is a fun and exciting form of entertainment. In order to keep it that way, you must make sure to stay in control and set limits on both the amount of time and money spent on gambling.
Basic tips include:
- Decide on (and stick to) a loss limit whenever you gamble
- Set a time limit and take frequent breaks
- Do not borrow money to gamble
- Only use money specifically set aside for entertainment purposes to gamble
- Engage in other leisure activities besides gambling
- Never gamble as a way to deal with stress, depression or any other problems
For further guidance, you can get more information and tips from the Responsible Gambling Council.
