All legal online casinos have a responsibility to provide customers with access to tools that can help keep their gambling in control. These features are collectively called Responsible Gambling measures as set out by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and offer proactive management of accounts and gambling habits
Online casino markets like the UK’s are heavily regulated. Part of those regulations offer player protections by making operators responsible for customer safety. Resources like https://legalcasino.uk/ provide lists and ratings of licensed and regulated online casinos. These will abide by the UKGC regulations over everything from handling transactions to personal data storage and the presence of Responsible Gambling tools. Here we have a closer look at this important area of safety for online gambling.
Where to Find the Tools
Links to gambling tools are typically found at the bottom of a casino site. Many also offer something along the lines of a control centre, which is a gateway to all safer gambling tools. Although operators monitor accounts and reach out if any irregular betting patterns occur, responsibilities lie with the individual to set up preventive control measures.
Deposit Limits
Restricting the amount of money a customer can add to their account encourages better bankroll management and cuts the risk of overspending. As part of newer regulations, casino operators have to prompt new customers through a pop-up or modal window to set up a deposit limit before their first deposit. Operators also have to prompt customers at least every six months to review their accounts and limits.
Limits are controlled through “My Account”, where you’ll have the option to set either a daily, weekly, or monthly limit. This limit can be changed through the same interface, but while decreasing a deposit limit happens immediately, increasing a limit will encounter a minimum 24-hour cooling-off period (in some cases operators may apply longer delays), with the user needing to confirm the action after that time.
Loss Limits
Some operators also offer what’s called Loss Limits, which cap the amount a player can lose before the system automatically blocks them from placing more bets. Again, this is set up through account management, and the lock will remain until the daily, weekly, or monthly limit is reset and is automatically released when the defined time period ends.
The Net Loss limit (total stakes – total winnings) is set by the user. The player’s chosen limits are stored in a database record, and the system will automatically keep a tab on the deposits or losses within the defined period, and automatically intervene with a block if they are violated.
Taking a Break
In account management, there are typically predefined options for self-exclusion (short periods are usually classed as “time-outs”) to select from in a drop-down menu, like 24 hours, 1 week, or 30 days, and the system will update the account status to reflect the time-out. While the account remains active for withdrawals, no deposits or bets can be placed until the period ends, and the break can’t be ended early.
Self-exclusion provides a longer fixed duration of absence of up to five years and is irreversible. It can often be activated in the account area, but in some cases it is necessary to contact the operator and then confirm the action by re-entering the account password. With the system updated to reflect this, the player has to contact the operator and face a cooling-off period after the account is reactivated. But self-exclusion cannot be reversed early; reactivation is only possible after the chosen period ends.
Players often hold accounts at more than one operator, and GamStop is a national scheme where players can exclude themselves from all online casinos in Great Britain. Players simply register themselves with the organisation, and then, thanks to GamStop providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to all UKGC-licensed operators, a casino system can query GamStop’s database immediately to check whether there is a block in place, and deny access if there is.
Getting a Reality Check
Players can also configure a session timer in their account settings, which is presented client-side, and the frequency of it is determined by the user, such as a notification every 30 minutes. The timer will automatically run when the first game of the session is loaded, and the interrupt (usually a pop-up) will trigger when the server-side timer hits zero. I
It will pause the play or in some cases even lock the player out of their gaming until they acknowledge the alert, which presents details of the session, like playing time and wins/losses. This creates a deliberate reality check, as it’s easy to lose time when gambling. The tool is completely user-controlled.
Player Control
Online casino sites offer a lot of support through Responsible Gambling Tools. Most are quick and easy to set up, like deposit limits and reality checks. While online casinos must provide the tools for players, it’s down to the player to act upon them.
