Online betting and online gambling are fast-growing digital industries in India. It’s not illegal to gamble online with real money as long as the casino site you’re playing on is run by a company based outside of India, and of course with a valid license.
Almost all legitimate casinos or betting sites in India advise responsible gambling and have some measures in place to help those of their customers who might find it developing into a problem. Did you know that, if not kept in check, gambling or betting habits can devolve into an addiction? There’s nothing wrong with betting with real money – as long as you only do it recreationally and responsibly.
If you find yourself in that dangerous corner where you think your gaming and betting habits are turning problematic (playing way more frequently than what can be called “occasional”), here are some tips to enforce and save yourself from addiction.
Restrict the number of days you play casino games online or bet online.
Pick a day of the week to indulge yourself. This way, you only allow yourself a limited amount of time to play real money casino games or to bet on sports. You have to be strict with yourself when it comes to this. Recruit a friend or family member as your buddy to help keep a track of your playing hours – someone who you can be accountable to.
Setting Betting Limits.
Almost every good online casino will have a self-exclusion tool that will help you set gambling or betting limits for you. You can (and should) set monetary limits when it comes to online betting, only allowing yourself to wager a small amount of money that you can easily afford to lose.
Play low-risk/ high RTP games.
RTP is Return to Player, and this indicates the rate of winning for casino players. Baccarat and Blackjack are high RTP games whereas Roulette is a low RTP game. If you’re playing a low RTP game, make sure your bets are very small because the chances of the house winning are quite high. Another good idea is to stop playing when you’ve lost 3 times in a row. Your luck is not about to change so it’s best to cut losses and try another day.
Self-exclude.
Self-exclusion means knowing when your “recreational” gambling is turning into a problem and taking action to shut it down (maybe even temporarily). You can use self-exclusion tools to temporarily suspend your casino or betting account. If no such tool is available, contact the customer service team of your preferred casino site and they will do it for you. You can start again after sufficient time has passed that you have the problem under control and you are sure you’re not addicted.