There is uncertainty in life. While most people can generally predict what will happen, those predictions are educated guesses at best. However, that uncertainty can be thrilling.
It’s why people gamble. They put money down on a sports team or buy a lotto ticket. They don’t know if they’re going to win, but just the possibility of winning gives them a high, not unlike that of a drug.
But people can become addicted to this high, and chasing it can have dire financial consequences. However, suffering consequences isn’t always enough to compel a person to change their behaviour in regards to gambling.
At Sivana Bali, we want to help people change their habits when it comes to process addictions such as gambling.
Why Is There a Need For Responsible Gambling?
The main reason that there is a need for responsible gambling is that there are a significant number of Australians who are at risk for gambling harm. As such, there is a need to help people change their gambling behaviour so they can avoid facing the serious consequences of gambling addiction.
The aim of responsible gaming is not to stop gambling altogether. Rather, it is to protect consumers from both themselves and gaming venues. It is to help people take control over their gambling behaviour to avert problem gambling.
What is the Current Approach to Responsible Gambling?
The current approach to responsible gambling involves changing consumer behaviour and limiting how gaming venues can promote their services. Some of the approaches include:
Empowering Problem Gamblers to Make Informed Choices
Gambling operators should provide consumers with information regarding their different products and promote responsible gambling practices. This information allows gamblers to understand the games they’re playing and their chances of winning, allowing them to make informed choices when it comes to their play. Gamblers are also warned about the potential for gambling harm and the risk of developing an addiction if they start playing.
Consumer Protection In the Gambling Industry
Changing a person’s habits is vital to helping those who may be experiencing gambling harm. Some of the ways that gamblers are protected include:
Integrity
Gaming venues undergo a rigorous process to ensure they comply with the law and offer gamblers a fair chance at winning.
Messages to Curb Problem Gambling
Messages also warn gamblers to bet what they can afford to promote responsible betting practices.
Safeguards Built Into the Environment
One of the ways to encourage safe gambling practices is by building safeguards into the casino itself. This includes having ATMs outside of gaming areas and having clocks so that players do not lose track of the time.
Payout Practices
Large gaming wins must also be paid by cheque to discourage players from wagering it to play again. There are also bans on free alcohol and free credit as inducements to play on gaming machines.
What is Self-Exclusion?
In gambling, self-exclusion is a voluntary programme in which a person can restrict their gambling activity and time at venues for a specified duration. Self-exclusion programmes are typically implemented to help people overcome their urge to gamble or limit the amount of time they spend gambling.
Here’s an overview of what self-exclusion generally entails:
Voluntary
As mentioned before, a self-exclusion programme is entirely voluntary. An individual decides for themselves to be excluded from gambling activities. They can do this for several reasons, but regardless of their reasoning, people have to decide for themselves if they want to take a step away from gambling.
Duration
The period of exclusion can vary in length. Some can last months or even years. There are even some programmes that allow for lifetime exclusion from gambling activities.
Formal Enrollment
While a person can decide to exclude themselves from gambling activities on their own, there is generally a formal enrollment process for self-exclusion programmes. This process involves filling out forms, providing identification, and agreeing to the terms and conditions of a programme.
Restrictions
After a person enrols in a programme, their name is added to a database of self-excluded individuals. This database is shared with gaming operators and venues, who are obligated to stop a person on the list from engaging in gaming activities during their exclusion period.
Repercussions
Breaking the terms of an agreement can have serious consequences. One of the most common repercussions is a lifetime ban from gaming venues, and depending on local laws, a person may have legal consequences.
Help For Problem Gamblers
While responsible gambling practices can help curb some of the harm associated with gambling, some people will need help with their habits. Some of the resources that can help gamblers break their habits include:
Government Resources
The Australian government understands that many need help with gambling. As such, they provide resources and support organisations that provide free and confidential gambling help for those who have a gambling problem or know someone who does. One of these resources is the National Gambling Helpline.
Private Rehabs
Numerous private rehabs provide treatment for process addictions such as gambling. In these rehab facilities, the central approach is likely to be Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is a type of therapy that is concerned with identifying and changing thought patterns that lead to unhealthy behaviours.
Rehab in Bali
Can you gamble in Bali? No. Gambling is generally illegal throughout Indonesia. Not only does coming to Bali for residential care distance a person from their triggers, but it also puts a person in a place where they’ll have virtually no access to gambling activities.
Support Groups and Therapy
Support groups can help people recover from gambling addiction by giving them a safe place to connect with others who are facing similar struggles and learn from them. Individual therapy can help people by giving them a safe space to talk about their struggles and develop coping mechanisms for urges.
Mental Health Treatment
Mental health troubles can drive many addictions. Because of this, many rehab centres offer Dual Diagnosis treatment as it allows a treatment team to address a person’s mental health concerns alongside their addiction.
Financial Counselling
Because gambling can often drain a person’s financial resources, the Department of Social Services provides Commonwealth Financial Counselling services that are aimed at helping people address their financial troubles, manage their debts, and make better monetary choices in the future.
Blockers
Another method to help a person with a gambling problem, especially in the case of online sports betting, which has become popular in recent years, is to install apps. These apps can restrict a person’s ability to use online gambling apps.
We Want to Support Those Affected by Gambling Harm
Numerous people are affected by gambling. They’re not just the gamblers themselves but also the people around them. A gambling addiction can feel impossible to overcome. For many addicts, the urge to place another bet can consume their thoughts at all hours of the day.
But there is help out there. Many people have been able to overcome their gambling problems because they were given the right help and because their loved ones were there for them. We at Sivana Bali want to help you with that.