Casinos and gambling addiction

I have a question for you: When someone has a gambling addiction but doesn't know it or doesn't want to know, casinos actually have a ton of tools to detect certain addictive behaviors, which inevitably lead to the belief that the player has at least a problem.

Don't you think the casino should act by default and stop deposits from players who might have this problem?

And after interacting with them, maybe someone might realize the problem and address it as soon as possible.

Yeah, I’ve thought about this too.

Casinos track so much data - they definitely notice risky behavior, but most won’t act unless they’re forced to.

A simple thing like auto-freezing deposits after obvious signs could actually help a lot.

Sometimes that pause is all it takes for someone to realize what’s going on.

I see it as it is. Thanks for your comment. There are behaviors that are easy to see as "worrying." They would help many people to act when that happens, but unfortunately, money rules. As long as you keep making deposits, you'll remain profitable.

Hi, I think some casinos have this policy. For example, if a player writes in live chat that they are losing quite a lot, some people see this as a sign of addiction or that something might not be right. 

Of course, players themselves should be careful to play at casinos that have responsible gambling tools, because this is not the case everywhere. 

It's a double-edged sword, because I've seen cases where a player said they didn't want to play anymore and that they were losing a lot of money, and the casino closed their account right after they managed to win a large sum, which caused a problem. Of course, in such cases, the casino should pay the player and then close their account. However, when players have a positive balance, it is often not possible to close the account. So there are many small loopholes that are important for both players and casinos.

Of course, the behavior of a player who is addicted is probably quite recognizable, but casinos do not have to check all players' accounts and what is happening on them. They usually do this when withdrawals are made or when a player complains to support that they no longer want to play, and so on. 

Therefore, both sides need to take this seriously, and if a player feels that they are not in complete control, they should seek help or immediately write to the casino about it. 

There are also those who are not honest and want more money from the player and want them to continue playing even if they say they have a problem. 

Situations can vary.

Thanks for commenting, I think that sometimes the player, and I'm speaking in my case, doesn't know how to stop because he doesn't see the problem or doesn't want to see it, so he needs a little help to make him reconsider or at least stop a bit to think, today with artificial intelligence (to give an example) these situations could be managed automatically, I think that a simple gesture changes lives, but in a world so focused on money it may be too much to ask.

Yes, I understand what you mean. I would definitely be in favor of casinos taking responsible gambling more seriously. 

But if someone doesn't want to admit that they are addicted, do you think closing their account at one casino would help? 

In such cases, players often open accounts elsewhere, and so the cycle continues. 

It is necessary to admit it and seek help as soon as possible. When a player has no control over their gambling, spending money, getting into difficult life situations, and similar, it needs to be addressed, and casinos should not profit from such players but help them instead.🙂

It's true what you say, if you don't want to admit that you have a problem it's very difficult, but if the casino in question gives you a warning, maybe you reconsider, at least give it a look and you might realize, of course I'm not going to solve anything (I hope so), in my case it took me a while to realize my gambling addiction, but the casinos where I was, instead of helping me, harmed me, despite literally telling them that I had a gambling addiction and that I didn't want to continue, they sent me bonuses and other prizes with which everything got worse.

I hope this gets fixed or happens less and less, if the game isn't fun it's not a game anymore.

Thank you for answering my comment.

Yes, and that is exactly what should not happen.

However, players sometimes confuse closing an account with self-exclusion. Casinos, like banks, shops, and other businesses, do not want to lose customers, so they offer them something. In this case, bonuses. 

What is more, if a player shows clear signs that something is wrong, they should not do this and should communicate with the player on a more professional level and try to help, as I said.  

The goal is not to take money from every player, at least that's what I think it shouldn't be.  

Unfortunately, there are casinos that don't care, which is quite sad. 

So, I hope everything wit you will be alright and that you have overcome the worst.

Good luck in everything you do. ☘️

Yeah I get what you’re saying. They can definitely spot patterns like people upping deposits fast or chasing losses. It would make sense for them to step in with a quick pause or a message before letting someone dump more money. I guess some folks might see it as the casino overstepping but a simple cooldown or check-in could actually help someone catch the problem early.

As it is, they have all the tools to detect these patterns of abusive gambling, but it's not very profitable for them; they prefer financial gain.

yeah that’s exactly the tough part. they’ve got the data and tech to flag problem play but at the end of the day profit wins out. i guess until regulators make stronger rules it’s on players to set their own limits and stick to them, even though it really should be a shared responsibility.

It's hard to imagine that casino's would prevent players from playing. Even ones with addiction. It is like alcohol or cigarette sellers. It is out of their responsibilities...at least, for now

I’ve thought about this a lot because I watched someone close to me spiral with online gambling, and it seemed like all the warning signs were right there, spending sprees, wild swings, late-night sessions. But despite all the fancy tools casinos have to recognize risky behavior, they rarely ever stepped in. My friend only got targeted ads and more bonus offers, nothing that made them pause or reflect on their habits. It was only when things got bad they accepted there was a problem, and honestly, it took some serious outside help to change things. When we started looking for real support, the discussions and experiences with Abbeycare stood out to us because people said they actually got hands on, personal help there, not just generic advice. If someone has reached the point of realizing they need a change, it’s the kind of support network worth checking out.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice. I'll check out the Abbeycare link you left.

Well, it's time to tell you something I'd rather not. Despite my efforts, I've had a pretty bad relapse. Even though I notified the casino via chat and email about my gambling addiction and that I wanted a lifetime ban, they haven't done anything (except offer me bonuses and deals). In the end, I relapsed in a brutal way.

Low times, I've contacted them again to close the account and they continue to evade me. I can accept my part of the blame, but not all of it, what a lack of humanity.

I filed a complaint, but it probably won't do any good; these bad practices never stop.

Hello,

I honestly can't express how deeply I empathize with you and all the efforts you took to stay away from the urge. Well done.

As far as I can say, relapses happen. It is not a complete failure, I reckon. In my opinion, the part where the casino provided you with bonus offers instead of helping you close the account sounds like a failure.

Hence, I dare to disagree a bit; if you feel strong enough to complain, please do so. We should not tolerate unfair practices that target struggling players, and a thorough investigation into potentially predatory practices may also benefit others.

Of course, if you prefer not to confront this issue and seek to avoid any form of casino contact, do what you feel is best for you.

Whatever you do is okay. 🙏.

Thank you very much for your kind interaction.

I'm glad I could contribute to this.

Please let me know if you'd like to talk. I promise to check on you tomorrow here, if you want.

You're very kind, at least I intervened quickly, but I still have no hope of recovering even part of the money. I filed a complaint through this page, and they still haven't blocked my access.

And you are very brave.

In my opinion the complaint has just started and Katarina is assessing the situation, gathering insights from you; thus, I'd say it's a bit early for a conclusion. Try not to trouble yourself further just now.

Time will tell more; it always does.