Online gambling risks during coronavirus pandemic

[FatFork]

As we stay at home more it is inevitable that we will spend more time online, on social media, and online games. Several research studies have demonstrated that online gambling companies have benefited greatly as a consequence of this.

I recently read an article in which Lazaros Gonidis, lecturer in Psychological Methods and Statistics at University of Kent, commented about the risks that gambling addicts might face during the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as the responsibility of operators to protect vulnerable individuals.^[1]

Whether you have a history of pathological gambling addiction or just considering gambling for fun, Gonidis has shared some valuable tips for all of us:

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.
• If you decide to gamble, you should keep a record of how much money and time you spend on gambling daily. Studies show that gamblers lose track of how much time and money they spend on gambling.
• Social distancing should not lead to social isolation, so talk to your friends and peers and discuss your gambling problem with them. Having support can make a big difference.
• Finding other mental stimulation to keep your mind busy can be very helpful in suppressing thoughts of gambling. If you need to be online then seek out online activities that help you to overcome the urge to gamble.
• Seek expert advice if you feel your gambling activities are getting out of hand. BeGambleAware.org is a very good place to start.

Does any of these methods work for you? How do you keep a rein on your gambling habits?

[1] - Olivia Miller, "Online Gambling Risks During COVID-19 Lockdown", News Centre - University Of Kent

[1715366477]

1715366477

[1715366477]

1715366477

[1715366477]

1715366477

[Fortify]

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.
• If you decide to gamble, you should keep a record of how much money and time you spend on gambling daily. Studies show that gamblers lose track of how much time and money they spend on gambling.
• Social distancing should not lead to social isolation, so talk to your friends and peers and discuss your gambling problem with them. Having support can make a big difference.
• Finding other mental stimulation to keep your mind busy can be very helpful in suppressing thoughts of gambling. If you need to be online then seek out online activities that help you to overcome the urge to gamble.
• Seek expert advice if you feel your gambling activities are getting out of hand. BeGambleAware.org is a very good place to start.

Does any of these methods work for you? How do you keep a rein on your gambling habits?

That's generally good advice, although gamblers generally need to break out of the tunnel vision and bad habits that have sometimes built up over years of playing. Like any addiction it's not just the physical act of dropping money on to a game, but can sometimes be the environment and feel-good memories associated with it, even if the good times were created a long time ago.

Another thing to think about when you're trying to break such an ingrained habit is the triggers and it is somewhat covered by the first point mentioned. If you think about smokers for instance, they might subconsciously go for a cigarette after eating or when drinking, so when you're trying to stop - really assess anything that might trigger your mindset towards gambling. If you popped in the bookmakers when you go to visit a the grocery store, try using a different store for a while until you have a bit more control. Control is key and you might feel powerless at the beginning, once you have it back the world seems a lot clearer.

Also, some games have elements of gambling (poker, blackjack, etc.) but there are a few people who can eek out a profit based on skill. If you are consistently losing money, you need to walk away.

[Marvelman]

These are actually good guidelines to follow for every gambler, regardless of whether or not the gambler is addicted.

Even more importantly, be realistic in your expectations. We already know the great risks of compulsive gambling. And there's another risk that's rarely mentioned: how the compulsion to gamble can warp your perception of reality. There are so many times that I've found myself betting big when I shouldn't have been because I went into it all in, with the idea that I could beat the house. In reality, this rarely happens.

[boyptc]

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.

There is another alternative whenever you're tempted to gamble. And that is to play some computer games or by watching videos and movies to spend your time that should be for gambling.

Actually, there are other activities that you can revert your attention if you want to avoid to gamble or you can no longer control yourself and you're looking for some ways to avoid it.

[GreatArkansas]

Does any of these methods work for you? How do you keep a rein on your gambling habits?

Yes, these methods really effective. I tried it already.

You are doing things that will keep you busy, so you will don't have free time to gamble.
Just think about those people who are still gambling even don't have a proper source of income, like a job that will able a source of income but look at them, they are the one who are into gambling, I saw this kind of experience in our local.

[Wexnident]

Get a hobby if gambling is turning into an addiction. It's not only useful to distract yourself, it also lets you have something to actually spend time on, one that you enjoy anyway. It's okay if it costs money, just take into consideration that too much of something is always bad, not just in gambling. I myself am a huge fan of playing fps and mmos, (though fps was also the reason why I'm gambling in the first place), and I can say that they take up a huge bulk of my free time, much so that I can avoid gambling every now and then. Granted that they cost money to actually enjoy (cosmetics + subscriptions), it's a lot less compared to gambling.

[smyslov]

The lockdown is a big temptation to be online most of the time, if you don't have control and you are not a responsible gambler you will develop anxiety symptoms, because you have all the time but you lack the money you think that this is the right time to win or study how to win in gambling because you have all the time in the world, which is a big deception.

[Fundamentals Of]

I think my gambling activities are considered simple hobby. I do not gamble because I am feeling lonely or depressed. I gamble because I want to spend some time having fun. Of course there are other fun activities but gambling offers a different and unique kind of fun. It is probably because it involves money. The thrill is on a different level. But I was never really carried away by it to the point that I become addicted. I don't need any intervention for now.

[boyptc]

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.

There is another alternative whenever you're tempted to gamble. And that is to play some computer games or by watching videos and movies to spend your time that should be for gambling.

Actually, there are other activities that you can revert your attention if you want to avoid to gamble or you can no longer control yourself and you're looking for some ways to avoid it.

We all know that if anyone is addicted to gambling, he will not like to play games other than gambling. In gambling there is a chance of winning real money which is not available in other PC games. Also some mid-aged gamblers feel shy in playing video games as they say that they are not young to play such childish games.

It's about divertion your attention when you're tempted.

Just because you want to gamble, you really want to gamble and you can't do things aside from gambling. You can still play games and it's for helping yourself to avoid gambling when you're tempted.

[romero121]

During this time people are much into financial pressure, because of job loss and other issues. This makes common people prioritise the opportunities available online. This is where more People fall for gambling with the hope of earning something. Finally almost every user loss everything and go for further more to recover it back.

[Kakmakr]

Let's be honest, if you were visiting "Brick n Mortar" casinos before the Covid Lockdowns ... you would inevitably look for your fix somewhere else, so online gambling will be the next best thing. Lots of people also spend a lot of their money on other types of entertainment.. examples: Movies / restaurants / Shopping and a lot of these things are not open during lockdowns.

So now people look for other types of entertainment to fill the gaps and online gambling is just one of those. I spend a lot of time online, watching NetFlix and streaming content and Bitcoin research and also online gaming, so my gambling is not my main activity when I am online. (You just need to get a balance between your gambling and the other activities that can be done online)  

[cabron]

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.

There is another alternative whenever you're tempted to gamble. And that is to play some computer games or by watching videos and movies to spend your time that should be for gambling.

Actually, there are other activities that you can revert your attention if you want to avoid to gamble or you can no longer control yourself and you're looking for some ways to avoid it.

Somehow a gambler can only think of these after losing his funds on a casino. 

Its fun watching documentaries especially the ones you are really interested. I got addicted to crime and aircraft investigation back in the days so I kept watching all of them on youtube which I forgot sometimes to cook for our dog. It will result to another problem when your addiction is diverted to something else. But at least I'm not losing money.

[Cling18]

One person should learn how to discipline himself to break the chain of gambling addiction. Focusing on other hobbies even during this pandemic would be a big help. Saving instead of spending is necessary to suring this crisis. Let's just be practical and learn how to control ourselves especially in times where we're being tempted to gamble.

[xSkylarx]

Does any of these methods work for you? How do you keep a rein on your gambling habits?

Online cockfighting here in our country became popular because of the pandemic, cockpits can't open anymore so the owners of them thought of a way to continue their business. Many of my friends and neighbors are addicted to it because it can double your money if you are good at evaluating who's rooster is going to win.

They tempt me to join also but I know it is very risky and addicting if you are going to bet often, to stay away from them I just play online games on my computer or talk to some people I know on social media who has the same interest with me and that is crypto trading. I know that has risks also but I would prefer that rather than gambling.

[robelneo]

There's a survey at the height of the pandemic that the profit of online gambling has doubled or even tripled, people are locked down in their home and if you are playing occasionally, lockdown is the time to explore more games and features on your favorite gambling sites, and if you are not checking yourself on how much time you spend in the gambling site there's a big risk that you will be hooked and your excuse is you are bored that you have to play online, be sure that you have a way to detached yourself even if you have a lot of time and money to spare.

[michellee]

Finding other mental stimulation to keep your mind busy can be very helpful in suppressing thoughts of gambling. If you need to be online then seek out online activities that help you to overcome the urge to gamble.

I think that is the way that can work for me to distract my mind not to think about gambling because that really helps me so far. I can think and work about the other things so I do not play gambling and I can reduce my time in gambling and of course, that helps me save my money for the other things.

But when you feel tempt and addicted to gambling, you need to tell people around you and ask for help from them so they can directly help you without waiting too long. They can know your problem so they can find out the way to solve the problem. Maybe they will ask you to go to a psychiatrist and asking for a solution.

[YOSHIE]

Does any of these methods work for you? How do you keep a rein on your gambling habits?

The Covid-19 pandemic has become a solution for some people to improve the economy in the current gambling strategy by utilizing the internet, no wonder many people spend time gambling at home, this is an alternative choice for gambling addicts.

During the pandemic, it will give rise to new perspectives in policies, everyone can say (work from home). This factor can have an impact on gambling addicts having free time to place bets, The pandemic encourages people to practice gambling increasingly, especially when access to gambling sites is easy to instantaneously.

[Poker Player]

Actually, I don't know if the concept of gambling could be applied to my case, because the most purist poker players would consider it a separate concept, in which you can make EV+ moves, unlike gambling in which they are inevitably EV- moves, since I only play poker (on rare occasions I have played casino games, just to try and just for fun).

In a broader, colloquial sense, poker would be included in gambling. What happened to me during the hardest moments of the pandemic, I would say that from March 15 of last year and for a couple of months, is that I won more money. I could tell that there were some bored people at home who didn't know how to play much and they decided to play poker while they had a few beers. Then the ease went down but stayed a little above the usual for the rest of 2020.

This year we are back to where we were before the pandemic. Tables full of regular players, little fish, more variance (because of the harder level) and less profit.

Or I know that in reality the psychologist's advice does not help me because during the coronavirus I won more money and on top of that I had a good time.

[madnessteat]

~ If you decide to gamble, you should keep a record of how much money and time you spend on gambling daily. ~

If a person is gambling every day, counting how much money he spends is pointless because he already has an addiction and this can be understood even without a medical degree.
If a person cannot go one day without gambling, the first thing they need to do is to seek professional help. Otherwise tens of thousands of dollars can be lost.

[Stalker22]

• When you are tempted to gamble online, use that to motivate you to go for a walk or exercise instead.

There is another alternative whenever you're tempted to gamble. And that is to play some computer games or by watching videos and movies to spend your time that should be for gambling.

Actually, there are other activities that you can revert your attention if you want to avoid to gamble or you can no longer control yourself and you're looking for some ways to avoid it.

We all know that if anyone is addicted to gambling, he will not like to play games other than gambling. In gambling there is a chance of winning real money which is not available in other PC games. Also some mid-aged gamblers feel shy in playing video games as they say that they are not young to play such childish games.

It's about divertion your attention when you're tempted.

Just because you want to gamble, you really want to gamble and you can't do things aside from gambling. You can still play games and it's for helping yourself to avoid gambling when you're tempted.

No doubt, but the first option has additional benefits. Aside from distracting you from gambling, exercise can improve your health and physical condition.
Researchers have discovered that exercising releases endorphins which improve your mood. This can have a positive effect on gamblers because it makes it easier for them to abstain from gambling.