Gambling addiction can affect anyone, even someone who gambles on occasion. It’s important to remain vigilant, since knowing how to identify problematic behaviour in relation to your play is the first step towards getting immediate help. If gambling is taking over your free time, work, and relationships, it’s time to walk away.

Various organisations have offered up criteria on recognising gambling disorders. The following warning signs, outlined by the Responsible Gambling Council, should alert you to a potential problem:

? Not being able to control or stop your gambling.

? Thinking about gambling all the time.

? Gambling with increasing amounts of money to feel excited while playing.

? Chasing losses and betting more to try and recover lost funds.

? Trying to obtain more money to play with even though you’ve already borrowed a lot or avoiding paying other bills to gamble.

? Disinterested in things that usually make you happy, such as being with family or spending time on your favourite hobby.

? Lying to loved ones to conceal the amount of gambling being done.

? Jeopardising relationships and other responsibilities due to gambling.

? Increase in negative feelings such as restlessness, irritability, guilt, and depression.

Keep in mind that these are only a couple of signs and you should consult a professional for a proper diagnosis. However, if you even suspect that you might have a problem with gambling, talking to someone is the best way forward. We list organisations that Canadian players can reach out to in the next section.

If you’re overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin, there are resources available to help you. Many organisations offer self-assessment tests which you can take to determine if you’re showing signs of being addicted. Click on the following to get started:

• Responsible Gambling Council – Self-assessment quiz

• Gambling Therapy – Do I have a gambling problem?

While it is painful to find out that either you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, it is important to understand that you can get treatment for it. In Canada, there are systems in place that provide resources to help those in need, and there are numerous trained professionals who know how to help individuals that are exhibiting gambling problems.

If you want to talk to someone immediately about your situation or a loved one’s, you can contact a helpline by phone. Different provinces have separate toll free numbers, and you’ll find a list here.

You can also contact counselling organisations and online support communities such as:

• Responsible Gambling Council (RGC): RGC is a non-profit organisation that aims to prevent problem gambling. It provides a number of resources on safer gambling, such as advice on identifying problematic signs, changing gambling behaviour, and finding local help.

• Gambling Therapy: Gambling Therapy offers residential programmes and multilingual online support groups for those who are struggling with gambling addiction. There are also forums, live and email services, and self-help tools available.

• GamTalk: This is an online community where people who have dealt with gambling issues share their experiences. This support group helps problem gamblers with their recovery journey, with features such as live chat and inspirational stories available.

For more help, you may want to seek out a clinician who specialises in dealing with problem gambling and other compulsive disorders. In many cases, there are outpatient treatments available.

Everyone can take steps to minimise their risks while gambling. There are ways to control your habits in relation to how you spend your time and money. These include:

• Tracking your bankroll. You should be aware of how much money you’re spending while gambling. If you’re betting online, you should be able to view your transaction history from your account. However, if you’ve signed up to multiple sites, this might prove to be harder. Keeping a written record of your activities could be more useful.

• Enjoying other activities. Don’t let gambling take over all your free time or replace hobbies you like. It’s also important you don’t isolate yourself from others – gambling shouldn’t interfere with time spent with the ones you love.

• Setting session and deposit limits. Trusted online casinos in Canada have responsible gambling tools in place. For example, you can choose how much time you want to spend online per session, and if you go over it, you will be automatically logged out from the site. You’ll also be able to set daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits from your account.

  If you decide to spend less time and money and decrease your set amounts, the changes will apply immediately. However, increases come into effect around 24 hours later to give you time to reflect over your decision.

• Requesting a time out. If you feel like you need a break from gambling, you can lock your online casino account for a set amount of time. This normally ranges from 24 hours to 3 months, depending on how long you want to cool off for.

• Self-excluding. If you want to block yourself from gambling for a longer period, you should consider self-exclusion. You can choose to self-exclude from a casino site for 6 months up to 5 years, and even forever.

Finally, if you believe that you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, we urge you to seek help now. We hope that these resources and others will support you on the road to recovery.

Please play responsibly at both online and land-based casinos.