Healthy boundaries to keep in mind while having fun with online promotions 

Online gambling platforms are known to provide engaging designs, promotions and constant notifications about what’s new. This is why it’s crucial to be mindful about the most important aspects: transparency, fair play and responsible gambling habits.  

According to the World Health Organization, the accessibility to online platforms and a fast-paced gambling environment has lead to increased gambling problems. Additionally, “around 5.5% of women and 11.9% of men globally experience some level of harm from gambling”. Therefore, responsible gambling has become a crucial part of enjoying any experience at a casino.  

In this article, we will explore the best ways to set healthy boundaries and limits when claiming online promotions, and why this approach ensures an engaging and safe journey.  

Why you need to set boundaries 

Whether it’s your first time playing with online casino promotions or if you’re a veteran, it’s important to be aware that you should set some specific boundaries when playing.  

Firstly, setting limits is crucial to prevent compulsive gambling because you will not overspend, and your habits will be under control. This way, you can also avoid financial debt, which is one of the main results of gambling issues.  

Gambling responsibly also ensures a pleasant experience. Making use of promos from time to time, and not in the scope of earning an income, is the best way to have fun. This is why, as a newly registered player, taking advantage of a set of free 50 spins with no deposit is the best way to test out a platform and not put any funds at risk.  

Additionally, excessive gambling can also lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. Making sure you’re setting boundaries can prevent a mental health decline.  

Let’s look at some efficient ways to keep things under control:  

Setting a budget 

The first step in starting your journey on any platform is to set a budget. Gambling platforms will curate certain irresistible incentives when you become part of their customer base. For instance, some of them have VIP clubs with lots of benefits that you sometimes can’t resist. 

The main issue is that to reach them, you need to deposit and wager a significant amount of money. This can result in you trying your best to have a high activity and redeem the highest level benefits.  

Additionally, some casinos have promotions for payday. This means that you will be tempted to spend a lot at that time, since you’ve just got your paycheck and think you have a high budget. We recommend setting a strict limit as soon as you receive your payment, so you don’t spend a significant amount.   

Adding a limit  

To continue enjoying your favorite promotions, you can set a limit on your account, ensuring you don’t exceed your budget. There are certain limits that a casino makes available to its users to provide a safer gambling experience.  

1. Deposit limit  

Most casinos offer a deposit limit feature that you can set by accessing your account or by requesting assistance from the customer support team. Typically, you can set deposit limits for each day, week, or month. Setting it limit ensures that you have a strict rule about how much you can gamble.  

2. Loss limit 

A loss limit is also an effective way to track the amount of money you spend on a platform. For instance, if your limit is $100, the casino will not allow you to keep playing if you lose a total of that amount.  

3. Cool-Off 

Setting a cool-off period on your account means that you will take a break from that specific platform, which can be up to 6 months. During this time, the casino will not send you any promotional emails, and you will be unable to log in to your account.  

4. Self-Exclusion 

This option is for more severe cases, for instance, if you notify the platform that you have gambling issues. The support team will usually assist you promptly and apply a self-exclusion to your account, which can last for several years.  

The advantage of this is that the self-exclusion status can be transferred to all sister casinos where you have an account. This helps you maintain control over your gambling habits.  

Promotional newsletters or emails will not find their way to your inbox if you have an active self-exclusion on your player account.  

Filter notifications 

Most casinos have a newsletter you can subscribe to in order to receive notifications. However, most of the time, just because you’ve created an account, their system will automatically notify you of the latest promotions. 

Getting messages about the latest promotions all the time can easily lead to you wanting to get everything, and this is why you should opt out. If you’re receiving promotions via email, then simply unsubscribe from the bottom of the message.  

If you delete your account on a casino, it’s also important to make sure you unsubscribe from their newsletter. Some casinos don’t automatically unsubscribe you from their notifications, so it’s best to get in contact with them to make sure. Receiving notifications about promotions after account closure may prompt you to reconsider reopening it.  

Time management

Online casinos are specially curated to keep you gambling for a prolonged time. This is the case with promotions as well, because after you’ve enjoyed the registration bonuses, there are many more incentives available, which can lead to wanting to spend a longer time on the platform.  

This is why it’s crucial to take advantage of some additional limits, like a reality check.  

Reality Check  

This is a great tool that most online casinos have implemented, and you should make good use of it whenever it’s available. Typically, you will have this option in your account, allowing you to set a time limit of 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or up to an hour.  

When the timer runs out, you will receive a notification on your screen indicating that it’s time to take a break. This ensures you’re aware of how much time you spend on a certain platform and that you don’t exceed a significant number of hours.  

Take self-assessment tests  

On most responsible gambling pages of online casinos, you will find a quick self-examination test that tells you if you are prone to issues. We totally recommend going through this one first before starting any gambling journey.  

The NORC Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Problems-Self-Administered (NODS-SA) is a self-assessment quiz that you can easily take and see if you are prone to issues. There are 10 questions, and at the end, you receive an overall result that directs you to additional resources.  

It’s essential to be aware of any issues before they become serious, as at an advanced stage, you will not be able to control them as easily.  

Use specialized resources  

Any respectable online casino will provide you with some essential resources that are specialized in helping individuals with gambling issues. Some include GamblingTherapy or GamCare, which you should access whenever you feel like you’re becoming prone to severe problems.  

Conclusion 

Overall, it’s all about practicing responsible gambling and redeeming promotions only when you want to have fun for a bit. Keeping a certain budget and a time limit in mind reduces the risk of gambling issues, hence ensuring that you are not prone to serious problems.