Is "Responsible Gambling" just a legal disclaimer, not a real protection?

[mirakal]

When the casino says "play responsibly" I do take it as a warning from them, to me it means that they are telling us (telling the players) that the game is not a get rich quick scheme, it's not a simple activity where you win the house, it means it is a very risky game and so, players should be careful. Such warnings are necessary for inexperienced player, after they gambler and lose repeatedly, they will understand why they should gambler responsibly.

For me, there’s only one real meaning here. It’s not about setting a target on how much I want to win, it’s about having the ability to stop when it’s necessary. That’s the real discipline. Responsible gambling, at least for me, only really applies when I’m losing. That’s when I make sure I never go beyond my budget. When I’m winning, I’m more willing to push my limits. And if I end up giving some of it back because of greed, I’m fine with that, as long as I never lose more than what I originally planned to risk.

[Slow death]

Casinos fulfill their part of the bargain when they post warnings for people to gamble responsibly or when they put up notices like "the casino is only for those over 18 years of age." Now, if people simply ignore this and gamble excessively, then that's not the casino's fault. I believe nobody would be happy to see the casino controlling how they use their money. Just look at people's reactions when a casino limits the amount a person can bet; it's always a negative reaction. Therefore, I highly doubt anyone would be happy if a casino told them they could only play with a maximum of $10.

[Japinat]

Therefore, I highly doubt anyone would be happy if a casino told them they could only play with a maximum of $10.

That actually goes against the casino’s goal, which is to maximize their income. They’re not here to babysit us. The “gamble responsibly” message is already enough to make it clear that whatever happens to us is on us. What a casino really needs to ensure is simple, they pay when we win. That’s it. Anything beyond that, like limiting our bets or pushing us to self-exclude, is already outside their job.

[Taskford]

When the casino says "play responsibly" I do take it as a warning from them, to me it means that they are telling us (telling the players) that the game is not a get rich quick scheme, it's not a simple activity where you win the house, it means it is a very risky game and so, players should be careful. Such warnings are necessary for inexperienced player, after they gambler and lose repeatedly, they will understand why they should gambler responsibly.

Maybe that is sort of reminder that gamblers need to be more careful on their decision while playing, but I also take it for compliance since government ask them to put that disclaimer on their site and casino just want to comply to avoid any legal troubles.

Casino want to get lots of income because this is how their business going to survive, limiting their gamblers won't bring any positive result since their profit will decrease on that matter.

But people ignore those words and continue to play then try to take risk even if they know that house always win compare to players. Gamblers really need to exercise proper precaution since if they exceed on their limit they would get more bigger problem and get lots of stress.

[Oluwa-btc]

It’s like dropping a  wey sharp knife and saying, be careful so you don’t cut yourself, when you could’ve simply removed the knife there. Gambling is naturally addictive and it takes only those who are extremely disciplined to be able to navigate the complexities and dangerous sides of gambling. Gambling is framed in a way that majority of gamblers get addicted to, so a simple disclaimer isn’t just enough to salvage the situation. But who are we kidding? Casinos deep inside wants gamblers to gamble irresponsibly as they tend to benefit more from irresponsible gambling.

Big time,I get that yeah,one thing is the gambling system is designed to shift responsibility away from itself and onto the individual,even if it controls most of the risk.Its a legal disclaimer because responsibility here is personalized not obligated.Casinos are saying,"we built the system,mind how you use it and manage the consequences."It signifies its all up to you!

[Floxynice]

It’s like dropping a  wey sharp knife and saying, be careful so you don’t cut yourself, when you could’ve simply removed the knife there. Gambling is naturally addictive and it takes only those who are extremely disciplined to be able to navigate the complexities and dangerous sides of gambling. Gambling is framed in a way that majority of gamblers get addicted to, so a simple disclaimer isn’t just enough to salvage the situation. But who are we kidding? Casinos deep inside wants gamblers to gamble irresponsibly as they tend to benefit more from irresponsible gambling.

Big time,I get that yeah,one thing is the gambling system is designed to shift responsibility away from itself and onto the individual,even if it controls most of the risk.Its a legal disclaimer because responsibility here is personalized not obligated.Casinos are saying,"we built the system,mind how you use it and manage the consequences."It signifies its all up to you!

We already have the answers we need. What do we expect from the casinos when the casinos set the structure, the rewards, bonuses and everything to give them an edge over the gamblers? They want to see gamblers lose and at thesame time, they also don't want to be held liable for the loss of valuables of any gambler. When gamblers put "Responsible gambling" out there, we shouldn't be deceived, such write up has no moral backing. The gamblers should treat that as a reminder to have pity on themselves because they are responsible to themselves 

[Josefjix]

Therefore, I highly doubt anyone would be happy if a casino told them they could only play with a maximum of $10.

That actually goes against the casino’s goal, which is to maximize their income. They’re not here to babysit us. The “gamble responsibly” message is already enough to make it clear that whatever happens to us is on us. What a casino really needs to ensure is simple, they pay when we win. That’s it. Anything beyond that, like limiting our bets or pushing us to self-exclude, is already outside their job.

What if i told you 'gamble responsibly' is another tools by casinos to pull themselves from anyone addictive blame, they simply knew there must be that junkie who cant be himself unless he try something out everyday, every casino platform has that one junkie who constantly make them rich.
Ofcourse, its no brainy to allow 10 dollar maximum bet amount, but what they actually promise is paying out winning no matter what.

[Hispo]

I believe it highly depends on the jurisdiction where the casino or the bookie is located. In some jurisdictions they are legally forced to comply with regulators and encourage gamblers to stay responsible and not to gamble more than they have planned to lose.

In the most cases, if casinos wanted to legally shield themselves from gamblers or bettors, they would just need to have enough transparency and make clear their services are supposed to be viewed as entertainment, and not as a source of income. Most casinos already do that and they is no legal problem they cannot face and win easily.

In my opinion, the whole concept of "responsible gambling" being pushed by casinos has more to do with Public Relationships than legal self-preservation.

[alastantiger]

Casinos fulfill their part of the bargain when they post warnings for people to gamble responsibly or when they put up notices like "the casino is only for those over 18 years of age." Now, if people simply ignore this and gamble excessively, then that's not the casino's fault. I believe nobody would be happy to see the casino controlling how they use their money. Just look at people's reactions when a casino limits the amount a person can bet; it's always a negative reaction. Therefore, I highly doubt anyone would be happy if a casino told them they could only play with a maximum of $10.

Exactly, casinos can only do so much with warnings and age restrictions. Personal responsibility is the key obviously, but alot of people struggle to set limits for themselves. Structured tools like betting limits or self-exclusion programs can help prevent serious losses without feeling too restrictive. These measures, they protect players from the risks of impulsive decisions while still letting them enjoy the game, even small reminders or limits can make a big difference in preventing someone from going too far. Gambling should at all times remain a form of entertainment, not a source of stress or financial trouble. Awareness and self-control are just as important as the rules casinos put in place, so yeah.

[FinneysTrueVision]

There is a legal requirement in most countries that casinos have to provide some safeguards to curb potentially harmful behavior. How seriously these standards are followed will depend on the specific casino. We have seen many accusations on this forum and websites like Casino Guru, where players have been able to easily circumvent the self-exclusion policy. I believe most of the popular casinos are at least trying in good faith to help players act responsibly, but the player also has to do their part for these policies to be effective.