The first rule of playing online poker is to stay well within your budget limits. But sometimes, the excitement gets the best of players, and they get carried away. It is in everyone's best interests to fight the potential damage gambling can inflict, which is how Stop Gambling Harm was born.
A new initiative is set on reducing gambling problems around the UK and Ireland, by adopting a new approach: contacting fund managers to change the industry.
Learn more about the latest attempt at curbing gambling problems in this Everygame news report!
Latest Approach to Solving Problem Gambling
It has been reported that three gambling veterans – Fintan Drury, Stewart Kenny, and Ian Armitage – joined forces to fight problem gambling. They came up with the Stop Gambling Harm initiative, which targets investors and fund managers in order to involve them in the process of stopping harmful gambling.
The three have a unique view of the industry, as they were all in charge of renowned gambling venues in the past. They believe that the law evolves too slowly, and further legislation is needed to keep online and offline gambling safe for all.
Stop Gambling Harm pushed for a few important changes:
- Limiting gambling-related advertisements.
- Separating sports betting and online casino games like poker, so operators won't be able to lure sports bettors into spending more money than they've planned.
- Better controlling young gamblers.
- Limiting how much cash players would be allowed to spend.
If investors will get behind this initiative, gambling venues will have to take responsibility for reducing gambling addiction among their members. Taking a more active role in preventing problem gambling might be the best solution for the industry, as current laws aren't enough to control the situation.
History of Problem Gambling in the UK
According to a report published by the UK Parliament, there are about 300,000 problem gamblers in the country. Out of those, around 55,000 of those are under the age of 16.
Another interesting fact the report has uncovered is that about 60% of the profits generated by the gambling industry come from those who are at risk of becoming problem gamblers. Or at least those who already crossed that line.
In the past, the UK government has tried to address this issue, but without much success. A few years ago, TV advertising related to gambling was mostly prohibited, but adverts during a horserace were still allowed.
Also, the government forced gambling venues to lower the maximum stake on many games from £100 to £2. But in recent years, online poker and other digital casino games have become more prosperous than ever. Therefore, it seems as if the government's strategy was no longer that effective.
Numbers show that in 2012, about 14% of people took part in online gambling. By 2019, the numbers rose to 21%. Changing the current regulations should address the rising popularity of online casino games, which is not an easy task.
In Conclusion
Responsible gambling is an important part of playing poker – whether you place bets online or in land-based venues. And while we should definitely expect casinos to do more to reduce problem gambling, we should also be careful ourselves.
So, remember! Whenever you play online poker, stick to your budget. And if you're new to the game and don't know how large each bet should be, only participate in low-stake games until you get the hang of things.
As long as you're being careful, you will be able to have a spectacular gambling session with minimal risk!