Gambling Problem, Is it Possible to be a Thing of the Past?

[yazher]

An addict can self-exclude from a site, but then continue to use another gambling site. It is possible that self-exclusion can help to some extent though, but there are more to do in a way to restrict yourself from addictive gambling.it’s not very easy to control yourself from gambling, because there are many distractions to get through. It's similar to an addiction really and must be treated with care and recognising that this is a problem before it gets out of hand.

Yeah! it will result in something worse when they let it slide without looking for a cure the moment they felt it. But the addict himself won't really feel anything because of his delusion. that's why the people around him should consider helping him if they truly love him because prevention is always better than cure. Some addictions can be cured the moment they start to feel something strange for the first time and quickly seek some advice and consult others about their current situation and some others will turn into a worse situation due to a lack of consultants or they are a lone wolf and no one with them to talk to.

[maydna]

Playing gambling does require strong self-control so that problems do not arise after we play gambling. Usually, for the first time we play, the problem doesn't arise but after we play for some time, say a month. Usually, there will be a desire to get bigger wins and if we don't have good self-control, it will lead to destruction in our life.

Another problem that arises from gambling is the problem of gambling addiction which will become uncontrollable and is also one of the causes of destruction in our lives. If we have good self-control, we can prevent these problems from arising and enjoy gambling as a means of getting pleasure.

[AicecreaME]

I think every casino has a self exclusion and gamble responsibly program. And so this is global per se, it's just the question if this is being implement or not. Is the casino able to block the person if he can control it and slip and try to gamble again?

And the gamblers has also the responsibility to inform the gambling platform specially if you break it. So again, it boils down to both parties, and take reasonable steps to prevent this gambling problem not only for the individual, but for others as well.

I agree.

Gambling addiction couldn't be prevented by someone or something just by putting a self inclusion or anything that will restraint someone to gamble if he is a gambling addict. Gambling addiction is a choice, they know it from the start that they will come to a certain point where they can't help themselves but to keep on playing gambling even though they wasted all of their money on gambling sites, with an enormous amount of debt to someone just to continue their addiction.

Gambling addiction could only be treated when that person is willing to accept the help from others and is dedicated to be cured.

[Zlantann]

Self-exclusion is a very good idea but it cannot totally eradicate the issue of gambling addiction. It would take self-discipline to engage in self-exclusion and many people cannot control themselves. In my country every pack of cigarette has a drawing of an unhealthy kidney devastated by cigarette and "smokers are liable to die young" written in them. Yet people still engage in heavy smoking. Gambling for entertainment rather than for profit making would reduce addiction. I think the best option is counselling of gamble addicts and giving them practical steps of how to be free from gambling addiction. It has been discovered that underage gamblers are easily addicted to the game. Hence more effort should be made to discourage and restrict underage people from gambling.

[KTChampions]

The only challenge to this system is that it can be easily circumvented by gambling addict by finding a foreign casino willing to allow the player to gamble. The only solution to this problem is simply by making the self-exclusion global and affecting all available casino can make the system very much harder to circumvent.

Shitty initiative and people who come up with such things have too little intelligence. It's as smart as cutting off your head to fight dandruff. To make some crappy trick for sick people "effective" you want to implement global totalitarianism so that every person and every business (casino) is under control? This is crazy nonsense.

[Cling18]

An addict can self-exclude from a site, but then continue to use another gambling site. It is possible that self-exclusion can help to some extent though, but there are more to do in a way to restrict yourself from addictive gambling.it’s not very easy to control yourself from gambling, because there are many distractions to get through. It's similar to an addiction really and must be treated with care and recognising that this is a problem before it gets out of hand

Self-exclusion can only be a temporary solution but it cannot cure or eliminate gambling addiction. If a person's gambling addiction is worst, apps or features like this won't work anymore. A person will always have the urge to look for gambling alternatives so professional help is something that he should seek.
Self-exclusion can control us from too much gambling but the discipline must also start within us.

[Markinzo]

I am doing my daily reading of online news and articles when I stumbled on this one.  It has an article title of Casino Guru’s Šimon Vincze on How Problem Gambling Can Become a Thing of the Past So I read and wanted it to share in this forum for some healthy discussion.

Here is the opening paragraph of the article to establish the questions.

We sit down and speak with Casino Guru’s Šimon Vincze, the man behind the company’s sustainable online gambling and reducing gambling-related harm juggernaut. Vincze most recently published the blue paper for the Global Self-Exclusion Initiative, a massive campaign that intends to tackle problem gambling with the participation of industry stakeholders and build a future where gambling-related harm is no longer an issue. Find out who Vincze is and how he is reshaping the industry.

More detail can be read on the link above.


The 3 key points that summarize the article:

The gambling industry is missing a system with the possibility to self-exclude internationally.

Thanks to our global presence and active approach toward sustainable online gambling, we saw a gap in the current self-exclusion options, practically overseen by the rest of the industry.

Read the blue paper and dedicate a few minutes of your time to imagining a world where blocking one's access to all gambling opportunities is a possibility. "

Digging deeper into what is this Global Self-Exclusion system (GSES) is, I found the pdf of the blue paper.  GSES is also deeply explained in this website, Global Self-Exclusion Initiative, with a tagline :  "Let’s make online gambling safer, together."

It said that to be able to solve the gambling problem in the gambling industry it needs GSES.

Why the gambling world needs a global self-exclusion scheme?

Present self-exclusion options can be circumvented
Operator-level and nation-wide self-exclusion do not create an effective barrier that stops problem gamblers from playing. Players can avoid them by gambling at other sites, or even opting for unlicensed operators and ending up playing at objectively worse gambling websites.

Regulators and operators do not work together on a global level
National schemes do not work together on a global level or let foreign operators take part. Even if they wanted to, the rigid rules individual entities have to follow do not allow them to team up to better protect players.

What Self-Exclusion Is and Why It Is Important

What is self-exclusion?

Self-exclusion is a responsible gambling feature available to people playing in casinos or partaking in other gambling activities that allows players to block themselves from gambling for a certain period of time.

How does it work?

Players can usually self-exclude from an individual casino in one of two ways:

Turning on self-exclusion by themselves, in the ‘responsible gambling’ section of the casino website. This usually involves choosing the desired duration of self-exclusion, but some casinos also ask about the reasons why the player wishes to use this feature.
Messaging customer support via live chat or e-mail. Some casino websites don’t support a feature that would allow players to turn on self-exclusion themselves. Instead, they need to message customer support and ask them to turn on self-exclusion for them.

Why is self-exclusion important?

The importance of self-exclusion has a lot to do with reasons why players use it. While these can be very diverse, a considerable proportion of players resort to self-exclusion because they struggle to keep their problematic gambling habits under control.

How would global self-exclusion scheme help?

Overcoming gambling addiction requires major commitment and often also professional help, but self-exclusion can make the process at least a bit easier and more effective.

The only challenge to this system is that it can be easily circumvented by gambling addict by finding a foreign casino willing to allow the player to gamble. The only solution to this problem is simply by making the self-exclusion global and affecting all available casino can make the system very much harder to circumvent.

Personal Input:
Having this kind of tool in every online casino is really helpful but the main challenge is the people involved.  Are they willing to participate in the program?  That is the main issue unless Casino will cooperate and force implement this procedure to their players which is highly unlikely.  Aside from that this is still in the experimental stage so it is too early to say that this kind of tool will solve the gambling problem that had been in the industry since the beginning.  I think it will help but it won't make the gambling problem a thing of the past. So what do you think about this article's claim?


Sources:
https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/casino-gurus-simon-vincze-on-how-problem-gambling-can-become-a-thing-of-the-past/
https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative
https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative/self-exclusion-and-its-importance

Not too long I stumbled on a thread in the forum in which the OP  shares about Phil Mickelson huge financial loss to gambling out of addiction which only ended him in a therapy section. Here's is the link to that thread.  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic

Reading through this particular thread about the introduction of self-exclusion program about the possibility of it's implementation into casinos and other gambling sites a thought came to mind:
1) if such program was already existing in casinos and other gambling sites globally, perhaps it would have saved Phil Mickelson from the five years of huge financial loss
2) it would have saved him from any health hazard or frustration he might be going through that he has to go for a therapy.

So with such program implemented it's really going to be helpful for many gamblers will know when to apply some breaks. And certain mistakes of the past can perhaps be avoided.
 

[Davidvictorson]

Playing gambling does require strong self-control so that problems do not arise after we play gambling. Usually, for the first time we play, the problem doesn't arise but after we play for some time, say a month. Usually, there will be a desire to get bigger wins and if we don't have good self-control, it will lead to destruction in our life.

It sure requires a lot of self-control, I always wonder about those you gamble at a professional level and are not addicted to it. Does it mean that some are folks who are predisposed to gambling addiction and some others not? Is it nature or nurture? Is responsible gambling only defined in terms of people who turn on self-exclusion? How about professional gamblers who have chosen gambling/betting as a career and are not addicted to it. Are they not "responsible gamblers"?

[Ludmilla_rose1995]

****
Personal Input:
Having this kind of tool in every online casino is really helpful but the main challenge is the people involved.  Are they willing to participate in the program?  That is the main issue unless Casino will cooperate and force implement this procedure to their players which is highly unlikely.  Aside from that this is still in the experimental stage so it is too early to say that this kind of tool will solve the gambling problem that had been in the industry since the beginning.  I think it will help but it won't make the gambling problem a thing of the past. So what do you think about this article's claim?
****

Gambling addiction is not an easy thing to treat, I have seen a lot of gambling addicts ruin their relationships with their families. there are 3 things that are believed to be able to stop a gambling addict from becoming addicted (1) the most important is self-motivation (2) the role of government (3) the role of the family. Without all three, gamblers who have become addicts will be difficult to treat with any treatment.

[uneng]

The only challenge to this system is that it can be easily circumvented by gambling addict by finding a foreign casino willing to allow the player to gamble. The only solution to this problem is simply by making the self-exclusion global and affecting all available casino can make the system very much harder to circumvent.

Shitty initiative and people who come up with such things have too little intelligence. It's as smart as cutting off your head to fight dandruff. To make some crappy trick for sick people "effective" you want to implement global totalitarianism so that every person and every business (casino) is under control? This is crazy nonsense.

A global mechanism to exclude problem gamblers from casinos would only work with every casinos companies in the world from every kinds and categories working under a central authority/regulator who would have access to the informations of all the people betting in the world. That means the end of non-KYC, anonymous and decentralized casinos, prejudicing most crypto casinos and its enthusiasts.
Self exclusion feature is a good thing and casinos must respect and help gamblers in difficult situation to stop playing, but at a global level it's just not feasible. What could exist is a third party service problem gamblers can hire to block the access of their devices to gambling platforms, like that feature from cable television, which allows customers to censor some channels, especially when there are children at home.

[coolcoinz]

I think this self-exclusion system is great if
1. The gambler is able to identify that he has a gambling disorder.
2. The gambler with a gambling disorder wanted to treat himself.
3. The gambling addict is aware of the self-exclusion tool.
4. The tool is available where the gambling addict is playing.
5. The addicted gambler has a strong will to follow the self-exclusion procedures.

If either 1 of them is lacking then the tool won't help much.  It is always a challenge for a player to declare that he has compulsive gambling let alone knowing that he is already addicted to gambling.  That being said, I don't think the gambling problem will cease to exist s long as the gambling industry is around.  

Great points. I'd only like to add that the system proposed in the article will only work among casinos that agree to use this global self-exclusion. I'm sure there will be a number of sites that won't ant this is going to counteract the initiative. As the gambler that I am, I can bet you that when the gambler self excludes himself and takes a few days off, sleeps on the loss, the next thing he'll do is google sites that don't participate in the global program. Sites where he'll still be able to play.

[wiss19]

It is possible as long as the gamblers are willing to do it. A thing in the past means they won't ever play gambling again right? And this can include thoughts related to gambling, not only the bad ones like thinking about losses but also the good ones like when they win. This one is important because once this crosses their mind, they can overthink it and will attempt to gamble again only because they want to recover their loss or they want to try to win more.

Gambling sites aren't new anymore so even if the tool that this company are making is not yet ready, we can find any other alternatives from the internet, from browser extension to a software/application. There are lot's of them.

[ryzaadit]

Self-exclusion still need to another feature, example : Banned his IP, so he can't comeback again to the casino.

Even the user/customer already closed the account the chance he will opening the new account are still higher maybe around 80%. If he not opening new account, most the time he will gamble in other site.

Gambling addiction still a hardest problem need to be cure ~XD

[CaVO32]

Self-exclusion still need to another feature, example : Banned his IP, so he can't comeback again to the casino.

Even the user/customer already closed the account the chance he will opening the new account are still higher maybe around 80%. If he not opening new account, most the time he will gamble in other site.

Gambling addiction still a hardest problem need to be cure ~XD

Because this problem depends entirely on the person himself. Whatever the site or other people will do, it won't matter if the person himself don't have the motivation to change for the betterment of his life. This will always be a problem in this industry. Because there are people who won't change their perspectives in life.

[qwertyup23]

Self exclusion can become useless for couple of reasons -
1. It all starts with oir willingness. If a gambler has a strong mind, he will be able to self exclude himself from gambling for as long as he wants. It all starts with us. Think about cigarette addiction. Unless the addicted person is willing to take action, nothing really happens.

2. There are multiple gambling websites available, including unlicensed ones. So even if someone has a strong mind to self exclude him from gambling for a specific period of time, it will be pretty easy for him to come back to gambling through another website.

Addiction can be treated through regular counseling. No measure of exclusion will work unless it is a forced one.

In the first point that you raised, being aware with one's addiction is the key to combat it in the first place. Like any other addiction, it is essential that you aware that you are definitely addicted to something. Now after you realize it, the next step is crucial- you are aware but are you willing to take action? If you see nothing wrong with your actions despite being aware, then the gambler would most likely stay in this kind of trap.

In the second point that you raised, I do agree with you. It helps that if a person wants to exclude himself from any addiction completely, it is better that he/she avoids all the signs that he sees that one might be tempted to gamble again.

[serjent05]

1) if such program was already existing in casinos and other gambling sites globally, perhaps it would have saved Phil Mickelson from the five years of huge financial loss
2) it would have saved him from any health hazard or frustration he might be going through that he has to go for a therapy.

The if statement is still conditional.  He would have gone self-exclusion if...
1.  He knows that he is already a compulsive gambler.
2.  He wanted to treat his addiction
3.  He is very very serious to treat his addiction.
Even with the self-exclusion tools being present if he failed to identify that he is a gambling addict and in need of treatment then it won't help anything.  Aside from that if he is dead serious about treating his addiction, he could have looked for a medical expert on addiction to cure his gambling problem.

So with such program implemented it's really going to be helpful for many gamblers will know when to apply some breaks. And certain mistakes of the past can perhaps be avoided.
 

Even with the presence of this tool, I don't think there will be any difference since the online casino today never checks their user's gambling conditions.  In our experience in online Casino, had we ever received a message that the self-exclusion tool is available on the site?  I bet no.

[Hydrogen]

A feature could be built into open source browsers like firefox which would block gambling websites. It could be done with browser user extensions. A list of gambling websites could be actively maintained which the extension would block from loading.

The only question is what would the unblock process look like. And whether people would voluntarily choose to subject themselves to it, if they acknowledge they have legitimate gambling issues.

A similar extension could be created to block porn websites for those who voluntarily acknowledge they have an addiction to porn that is unhealthy.

These types of concepts are old school. People had these debates back when google search results revealed 7 year olds actively watching porn on the internet around 15 years ago. Censorship and blocking of content is a very old debate.

Centralization vs decentralization being an active discussion atm. Perhaps the structuring of these types of programs would be interesting to some.

[ipanks]

snip

snip

Online casinos never check the condition of their users because no technology can detect users who visit the casino. Currently, a self-exclusion tool may not be available on the casino site because it is not yet supported by technology, as I said earlier. But if gamblers can use the programs, it might help them reduce their time and money to play gambling. But it also depends on how the gambler reacts because we know that if someone is addicted to gambling, he will not necessarily tell others.

[harizen]

Personal Input:
Having this kind of tool in every online casino is really helpful but the main challenge is the people involved.  Are they willing to participate in the program?  That is the main issue unless Casino will cooperate and force implement this procedure to their players which is highly unlikely.  Aside from that this is still in the experimental stage so it is too early to say that this kind of tool will solve the gambling problem that had been in the industry since the beginning.  I think it will help but it won't make the gambling problem a thing of the past. So what do you think about this article's claim?

Personally, regardless if there's a self-exclusion or not, gamblers will always be gamblers. The only effective tool to deal with gambling problems is ourselves. People need to fight the temptation as even though there's a self-exclusion feature, there are other ways to get back at gambling at all costs.

I remember a thread complaining about a gambling site where even after using the self-exclusion feature, there are still lots of promotional emails that the person is receiving after. The user totally disappointed at that site because the person is currently on-going in a recovery period and working in the process of staying away from gambling.

It makes sense to complain since that should work but honestly, if that user is really serious, there are other ways to get rid of those promotional emails coming from that site. Aside from that, it's not the main problem as even that person excludes themselves from the site, gambling-related stuff is just around the corner even just by doing a simple walk and watching TV.

[Kakmakr]

A Global Self-Exclusion system will only help with casinos that are regulated. The regulated casinos will ask for KYC details and if the personal details of that person is on that database, the gambler will not be able to signup at the new casino.

The problem is .... a lot of casinos are not regulated, so they will not be able to get to that information ..so they will simply allow players to register ...without blocking people that are on the global self-exclusion system.

Some casinos are just focused on profits, so they could care less if people have gambling problems. You even find that some regulated casinos will still send marketing emails to people on their self-exclusion database. 

A lot of gambling addicts will use fake ID's and documents to circumvent their own "Self exclusion" arrangements.