Safer Gambling Week 2023 at BETMGM
From the 13th to the 19th of November this year we are taking part in Safer Gambling Week 2023. Safer Gambling Week is a cross-industry initiative to promote safer gambling in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This year we would like to ask you to:
- Ask yourself... Are you past your spending limit?
- Remember... It’s good to set yourself limits.
- Remember... It’s good to take a break.
- Play Smart... Don’t chase your losses.
- Remember... Friends and family are more important than gambling.
- Remember... Gambling is not a way to make money.
More information about the initiative can be found here.
Safer Gambling Week at BETMGM gives us an opportunity to highlight this crucial topic, and to acknowledge the risks associated with gambling. Ourselves and other operators use this platform to help you understand the risks associated with gambling as well as the tools you can use to protect yourself from these risks, while also promoting a healthy discussion around this topic.
While the increased focus provided by Safer Gambling Week on the topic of safer gambling is immensely beneficial, this is a topic which we, as operators, must prioritise year-round. It is for this reason that you may have seen an increase in safer gambling messages when using our product throughout the past year. We are constantly looking for ways to interact with you, our customer, in meaningful ways that affect the way you interact with our product.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A GAMBLING PROBLEM, PLEASE CALL 0808 8020 133 FOR GREAT BRITAIN OR 08000 886 725 FOR NORTHERN IRELAND.
Tools and Tips
We offer a number of tools and measures that will help you gamble responsibly. Each tool can be used to keep track of a specific aspect of your gambling, such as time or money management. Using one or a combination of these tools will serve as a safety net, protecting against going overboard by allowing you to plan ahead.
Deposit Limit
Deposit limits are a great way to ensure you don't spend more than you want to. It eliminates the potential to overspend and keeps you in control of your gambling spend.
Session Limit
Setting session limits allows you to control how long you should play on our sites. With this tool, you can keep track of the time spent gambling. We offer session limits from a variety of time periods. Great for time management.
Wagering Limit
Setting a wagering limit allows you to control how much you can wager on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. With this tool, you can protect any winnings on your account from being wagered further.
Loss Limit
This is a useful tool to limit the amount of money you can lose on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. It can also help against potentially chasing losses.
Reality Check
The reality check tool keeps track of the time you spend playing a single session. It is a reminder of how long you have been playing.
Player History
This tool gives you a summary of all transactions that have taken place on your account. It includes information about wagers, results, deposits, withdrawals, and pending bets. We encourage you to keep tabs on your history as this can protect you against getting carried away.
Time Out
With this tool you can set a short temporary break on your account to save money or reflect on your gambling activity.
Self-Exclusion
You are always free to take a longer break from gambling, and we encourage you to do so if you feel that this may help you. We provide the facility for you to Self-Exclude from your account for a specified period - from 6 months to 5 years. By choosing to Self-Exclude, you will be prevented from gambling for your selected period of time. This can be done from the website or by contacting our Customer Support team.
Blocking Tools
Some third parties offer software that will allow you to restrict your access to any website through which you can gamble. Some include: Gamstop is a free tool that allows people to self-exclude from all UK-licensed gambling websites. Once registered you will be prevented from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing.
BetBlocker is a UK-registered charity providing free blocking software to help you control your gambling. BetBlocker offers an app for Android, iOS, Windows, Apple, Linux and Fire OS and allows you to block your device from accessing tens of thousands of gambling sites and hundreds of gambling apps for 24 hours up to 5 years. No sign-up is required to use BetBlocker.
Myths, Risks, and Signs Myths Associated with Gambling You or someone around you might have heard certain myths when it comes to gambling and believe them to be true. The list you will find below is not exhaustive, but it will help you in recognising some of the most common false myths:
- The more someone gambles, the more their luck changes.
- Gambling with higher stakes will ensure getting the player’s money back.
- There is a “lucky day” that every player has once in a while.
- Gambling on more than one slot or casino game at a time increases the chances of winning.
- Developing a special strategy helps players win.
- Knowing a certain slot or casino game well increases the chances of winning on that game.
- It's not possible to become addicted to gambling.
- To experience problems with their gambling levels, a player needs to gamble every day.
- A player can’t be addicted or experience gambling problems, if they can afford the money they are losing.
- Only irresponsible people become addicted to gambling.
- Problem gambling is easy to recognise.
Risks Associated with Gambling There are risks associated with gambling that can negatively affect your life and the life of your family. If you don’t gamble within safe limits, you potentially might be at risk of:
- Losing more money than you can afford, or you have budgeted for.
- Spending more time on gambling than you have intended, and missing out on important events and tasks in your daily life.
- Neglecting your family and friends.
- Experiencing decreased self-esteem and increased stress and anxiety.
- Gambling to escape from reality and/or improve your mood.
- Developing a preoccupation or fascination with gambling and getting a rush from gambling with increasingly large bets.
- Heightening states of euphoria which may affect your judgment.
- Signs that you are developing a problem.
There are different warning signs that might show you are beginning to develop unhealthy gambling habits or gambling addiction. Please note that the signs listed below are not exhaustive and are not to be used as a diagnostic, psychological, or medical tool. However, many players who contact organisations assisting with problem gambling and gambling addiction answer yes when they are asked if they experience the below signs:
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Alienation from family and friends.
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Missing time off work and gambling instead of performing important work tasks.
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Borrowing money to gamble.
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Gambling with the intention to pay off debts using the winnings.
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Selling personal items or property in order to gamble.
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Lying to family and friends about gambling.
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Preoccupation with gambling.
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Irritability, restlessness, withdrawal.
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Need for action and excitement.
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Defensive attitude.
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Competitive personality.
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Inability to cut back or stop gambling.
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Committing or thinking about committing an illegal act to finance one’s gambling.
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Suicidal thoughts.
We Care
Gaming at BETMGM should be all about entertainment and we take our responsibility to protect you very seriously. If you need to talk about this at any time, please feel free to contact our trained staff. We encourage everyone to be aware of the different limit tools available to them and to seek help whenever they feel they can’t cope on their own. Alternatively, you can always visit LeoSafeplay - our website dedicated to safer gambling.