Gambling can be a lot of fun. It lets you experience the thrill of victory combined with the rush of a huge cash prize. Once you get your first taste of this, it can be hard to stop. Most players know their limits. They know leaving dissatisfied is better than spending money they cannot afford to waste.
Unfortunately, not everyone can do this. The desire for a jackpot can persuade people to continue when they should not. After all, you are bound to win after such a long losing streak! You can make it all back; you just need one big win. If you have run out of your own money, you can borrow from someone.
If these things sound uncomfortably close to comfort, then you may be suffering from compulsive gambling. It’s a severe condition to break away from in the age of the internet. After all, online casinos are usually just one click away. It requires a fair bit of willpower to break away from this problematic behavior. The following steps might help.
Close Your Existing Accounts
The only way to stop addiction is to stop playing. You cannot go around and restrict yourself from every online casino. Not unless your country has a nation-wide self-exclusion registry like Sweden does, preventing you from even registering.
However, what you can do is close all of your existing accounts. Most online casinos will ask you to get in touch with their support staff to close an account. We advise against accepting any offers for a temporary limitation.
You want to limit contact with online gambling as much as possible. Delete your account and request to be permanently placed on the self-exclusion list. That way, you will not be allowed to register another account at that casino, or any other online casino ran by the same operator.
Try Something Different
Some people are more prone to developing addictions than others are. Many ex-problematic punters have gone through the difficult process of distancing themselves from gambling. Just about every one of them had the same message for people trying to quit; immerse yourself in something new.
Heck, just finding that new thing to fill your time can take a while. The best way to find what new thing you want to do is to identify your reason for gambling. If you enjoy the rush of adrenaline, physical activity is usually the way to go. If you default to online casinos to stave off boredom, you can try books, music, sports, or video games for less destructive ways to kill time.
Dealing With Addiction
Finding something new is an essential step on your path to stop gambling. However, the desire to keep playing will not disappear overnight. It will be there in the back of your head, nagging at you to play. A great way to fight the urge to play is to enlist family members or good friends to help you.
This works best if you live with someone; they can distract you from your desire to play. If not, you can distract yourself by calling or texting them. If you would prefer talking to people who understand the stress of your current situation, there are also Gamblers Anonymous meetings you can attend.
When you’re alone, an excellent way to avoid cravings is to busy your mind with something else. Put on your favorite show, or go outside for a walk. Try to focus your thoughts on the negative sides of gambling: the inability to live a healthy life and being unable to provide for yourself and those around you.
Sadly, you may never fully overcome this addiction. However, by finding new hobbies and creating a strong support network in your friends and family, you will always have someone watching your back. These steps give you a general idea of what you should do to stop gambling. Following them to a new and better life is all up to you. It will be difficult, and you will struggle, but we know you can do it!
