18+ Playing responsibly at an online casino
Playing at an online casino is fun for the vast majority of people. The idea that almost every gambler is addicted to the game is completely wrong. Research and studies show that less than 3% of the population are potential problem gamblers and less than 1% are actual pathological gamblers.
Nevertheless, it is extremely important to play responsibly! Following the rules of responsible gaming is the ideal way to keep the game under control. Within the limits you set yourself. In this article, the different rules of responsible play are described in detail. Read them. They will help you make gambling safe and fun at the same time.
Responsible Online Casino Gambling – Principles and Rules
There are many games you can play at an online casino. Online slots, roulette, blackjack – these are all fun games with the potential to win prizes that you will be telling your friends about for years to come. In order to make the gaming experience more enjoyable, it is important to take into account the possible risks and prevent them. The goal of every player should be to play responsibly and have fun.
Therefore, please observe the following principles of responsible gaming:
- Play for fun. The right approach to gambling is to have fun and enjoy the experience. Never consider gambling as a source of financial income. First and foremost, the game is meant to entertain you; any winnings are just a nice bonus. You shouldn’t go to a casino to win a life-changing prize.
- Obey the law. Only play with legal gambling operators who are licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority. Legitimate operators have undergone a rigorous evaluation and approval process that guarantees the highest possible level of reliability and security. Never allow others to use your player account. Never allow persons under the age of 18 to participate in gambling.
- Only gamble for money you can afford to lose. Never borrow money to play a game. Do not try to recover lost funds by increasing your bets. Set game limits, self-limiting measures and have fun playing.
- Devote only part of your free time to the game. You should only play so often that it does not have a negative impact on your family functioning, relationships with friends and work performance.
- Play only when you are in good mental condition. Do not play if you are stressed or in a bad mood. Take breaks during the game to balance the positive and negative emotions associated with the game. Never play under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other addictive substances.
- Keep your game under control. Monitor your behaviour during the game. Test to see if you are able to stop playing just like that. Keep track of how long you have been playing and the current amount of your losses or wins.
- Study the rules of the game. Study the game schedule of the gambling operator you want to play with. This must always be available directly on the online casino’s website or in the gaming area of the land-based casino. Study the probability of winning and losing as well as the return on specific games. This will help you better assess the financial risks associated with the game. Don’t have misconceptions about how chance and probability work. Don’t believe that certain gaming and betting systems will help you win – they never work.
Why it’s good to play at a legal online casino
To operate an online casino, you need to obtain a license issued by the Gambling Regulatory Authority. On its website, you can find a current list of licensed operators and their game schedules. Unfortunately, you may also come across casinos on the internet that offer their services without a license. Playing with such operators is very risky and very disadvantageous.
Risks of playing at an illegal online casino:
- Untrustworthiness. Illegal operators are very untrustworthy entities. You have no assurance that the outcome of the game is truly controlled by chance and is in no way influenced by the casino.
- Loss of funds invested. You have no guarantee that the illegal casino will actually pay out your winnings. You will have no recourse because the Slovak state will not reach these illegal operators based in exotic destinations and such a casino does not provide any financial security to settle its obligations to the players.
In the case of legal operators, you can expect:
- Trusted and proven games. All legal gambling operators must successfully pass the Gambling Regulatory Authority’s inspection process, which includes the inspection of all gaming mechanisms, including random generators. So you can be sure that playing at legal online casinos is always fair.
- Verified organizational structure and list of partners (shareholders). The Gambling Regulatory Authority verifies the organizational structure of a company wishing to operate gambling in the Slovak Republic before granting a license. This way you can be sure that the casino is not owned by an anonymous person who will one day embezzle the money that players have deposited in their player accounts.
- Financial security. Before granting a licence to operate gambling, the Office for Gambling Regulation assesses the financial situation of the company concerned. The applicant’s share capital for casino gambling and internet casino gambling shall be EUR 1 700 000. In addition, the company must lodge a financial guarantee of up to EUR 1 500 000, which serves as a guarantee for the payment of winnings. So you don’t have to worry about the casino going bankrupt and losing your money.
- The possibility of setting limits and self-limiting measures. A legal online casino will always allow you to set game limits and other self-limiting measures, which you can read about in the following paragraph.
- Disclosure. Legitimate operators must disclose their identification and contact information on online casino websites. A game plan describing the rules of the games. And further, the types of gambling operated as an internet game.
Setting limits for play and self-limiting measures
Safe gaming is only possible in a legal online casino. This is because it allows you to set self-limiting measures in the form of game limits for the maximum amount of total bets and the maximum amount of losses for the time you play. You can set these self-limiting measures directly on the website of the specific online casino, even while you are playing. The limits are calculated on a cumulative basis per calendar month from the first login to the user account in the current month, separately for online games (e.g. odds betting) and separately for online casinos.
In the case of a self-limiting setting for the maximum loss for a calendar month, the amount that is considered to be a loss is the difference between the sum of all the player’s bets, including bets that did not result in a win, and the sum of all the player’s winnings. The internet gambling operator must display the possibility to set self-limiting measures directly on the online casino website, including during the game. The Gambling Act obliges every legal casino to do so.
Think in advance how much money you can afford to put into the game. This amount is set directly by the casino and cannot be exceeded. This way you will always be in control of your game and finances. A responsible player with self-restraint measures in place will not cause any problems for themselves or their loved ones. Let’s now take a look at the most popular casino games and give some examples of how to play responsibly and have a lot of fun at the same time.
How do you exclude yourself from gambling?
The Office of Gambling Regulation has published on its website applications to register or be removed from the register. The application can be delivered to the Gambling Regulatory Authority in person, in paper form with a certified signature or in electronic form signed with a qualified electronic signature.
The application (other than an application signed by a qualified electronic signature of the person concerned) shall be accompanied by a photocopy of an identity document (e.g. identity card, travel document, etc.) on the basis of which the Gambling Regulatory Authority can reliably verify the identity of the eligible applicant.
Some people ask whether it is possible for a close person (e.g. a family member) to be included on the Excluded Persons Register. This is not possible; only anyone can be entered on the register at their own request. If someone close to you has a problem with responsible gaming, the only option is to talk to them. Try to convince them that their gambling is out of bounds and that they need to seek help and use effective responsible gambling tools.
Player registration and identity verification
To start playing at an online casino, you must first register and create a player account. A player account is mainly used to manage your funds, gaming history and identification details. You need to provide your identification details such as first name, last name, birth number or date of birth, permanent residence or nationality. You can only have one player account with one online game operator. The casino will check that you are not on the exclusion register. Full registration will only be completed once your personal details have been verified. Upon cancellation of a player’s account, the online game operator is obliged to refund the balance of funds to the player.