Responsible gambling Canada

What is problem gambling?

A problem gambler isn't someone who loses too much. And just because you've won tons of money doesn't mean you don't have a gambling problem. No, problem gambling is a mental health issue that runs deeper than winning or losing.

Problem gambling can affect a person's life. When you have a gambling problem, gambling takes over your whole world. It could get in the way of work, school, or social activities. It could affect your marriage or relationship. It could damage your reputation. It could cause problems with family members or friends.

And problem gambling can do all this because, for the problem gambler, cards, dice, and spinning reels steal the spotlight while the important things in life fall out of focus and don't get the attention they deserve.

Those wins and loss swings can also make a problem gambler moody, leading to job loss and conflicts with friends in family. And when a problem gambler experiences significant financial loss, they could lose their car, house, and savings - and ultimately their marriage.

Problem gambling by the numbers

According to a recent problem gambling report, about 3% of Canadian adults are affected by problem gambling, which can be described as either moderate to severe. The same report said that approximately 70% of Canadian adults have gambled.

How do those numbers break down? According to Statistics Canada, there are about 26.6 million Canadians over the age of 20 (the legal gambling age varies from 18 to 19, depending on the province, and Statistics Canada lumps 15-19-year-olds into one population snapshot, so we'll use the age of 20 as our benchmark). If 70% of Canadian adults have gambled, we're looking at 18.6 million Canadians. And if 3% of them have been affected by problem gambling, we're looking at about 500,000.

So does that mean that half-a-million people have a gambling problem? Not really. The 'affected by problem gambling' number includes people who haven't gambled at all. That's because problem gambling doesn't just affect the person holding the chips; it affects their friends, family members, and colleagues. So one person with a gambling problem can affect two, three, five, or even 10other people who might be casual gamblers or non-gamblers.

Signs of problem gambling

There's nothing wrong with hitting a casino. Whether it's Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Caesars Windsor, another land-based casino across the country, or an online casino, gambling can be fun. But if you find yourself unable to stay away from the gaming floor or from an online casino, you should be concerned.

You might have a gambling problem if you:

• Stopped doing something you used to enjoy, just because you'd rather gamble.

• Are constantly late for school or work, because of gambling.

• Miss paying bills, either because you forgot or because you've spent your budget money at the casino.

• Avoid meeting personal responsibilities or family obligations because you'd rather gamble.

• Stop taking care of your kids to focus on gambling.

• Are more focused on organising sports and lottery pools at work, than actually doing your work.

• Play online casino games at work, and not just on your lunch hour.

• Withdraw from family and friends, and skip socialising with people because you'd rather watch cards hit the felt.

• Have unexplainable mood swings.

• Are constantly bored when not gambling.

Options for problem gamblers

If you think you have a gambling problem, online casinos actually do a much better job of getting you help than their land-based counterparts. That's because, aside from a small, responsible gambling office that lives outside of the casino entrance, live casinos in Canada don't do a whole lot to help problem gamblers. Sure, they claim to have programs in place whereby if you add your name and photo to a list, the casino won't let you in. But there have been reports of those programs being ineffective.

Online casinos, on the other hand, have the benefit of technology to keep problem gamblers in check. If you're playing at an online casino, there are lots of things you can do to get help with problem gambling.

• Problem Gambling? There's an app for that: Canadian casino players who think they have a gambling problem can use an app called Monitor Your Gambling & Urges. The app helps monitor and track your urge to gamble, reports key data, and tracks wins and losses, so you're able to review your data and take the necessary steps.

• Filter out gambling sites: Gamblock and Bet Filter are two apps that can be easily installed to keep you away from online gambling sites. Filtering software might not be suitable if more than one person in your household gambles online.

• Lower your daily, weekly, and monthly limits: Most online casinos already come with deposit limits, such as daily deposit limits for new players. However, you can actually ask the online casino to lower your limits, and some casinos will let you configure your betting limits based on deposits. Others will let you set daily and maximum betting limits. If your favourite online casino doesn't offer this functionality within the software, you can contact customer service.

• Tell your online casino you have a problem: If you're worried about your gambling, try contacting the online casino. You can ask them to shut down your account for a period of time. This could be 24 hours. It could be a week. It could be a month. The choice is totally up to you.

The gambler's fallacy

Have you ever heard a casino player say they're due for a win because they've hit a string of losses? Maybe you've heard someone at a roulette table say so. Or maybe you've said so yourself.

The belief that an outcome of something so seemingly random can become less random and more predictable just because something has happened, or has failed to happen, is called the gambler's fallacy.

Suppose you've kept betting on black at the roulette wheel. And red has popped up seven times in a row. If you're a problem gambler, you might think that betting big on black is the way to go because it's about time you win. That's wrong. Your odds of hitting black are the same as they are of hitting red. The fact that you hit red seven times in a row doesn't change the randomness of the roulette wheel. Believing so is wrong, but lots of gamblers still commit the gambler's fallacy.

Sometimes, it makes gambling more fun. But if you're the type of online casino player who is constantly chasing losses by betting big because you're due for a reversal of fortune, you may have a gambling problem.

Finding help for your problem gambling

If you think you have a gambling problem, or if you know someone who does, you can get professional help through a number of Canadian provincial and national organizations:

• The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse: The CCSA is a great place to start if you're worried about your gambling habits. The agency can steer you toward getting the help you need.

• Gamblers Anonymous: Gamblers Anonymous offers problem gamblers a great support network for talking about and dealing with their gambling problems.

• Gamblers Anonymous Montreal: Residents of Montreal are invited to seek help through Gamblers Anonymous Montreal. Phone: (213)386-8789 or (514)484-6666 (Montreal).

• PlaySmart: PlaySmart.CA is a great online resource that is full of information on your favourite games, as well as ways to get help when the fun stops and you think you might have a gambling problem.

• Problem Gambling Helpline: There are also a number of regional help centres for those afflicted with problem gambling. For instance, Connex Ontario is located in Ontario and offers help to all Canadian residents. Phone: (519)439-0174 or toll-free 1-888-230-3505.

We recommend reading through these resources, even if you don't have a gambling problem. They offer some great advice for responsible gambling, so you can enjoy online casino games the way they were supposed to be enjoyed.