Gambling on online slots is dangerous and can quickly turn into a full-blown gambling addiction. If left unaddressed, it can lead to significant financial harm, loss of friends and desperation to recoup debts. It’s not easy to stop, but identifying triggers and learning new strategies to replace risky behaviors with healthy ones will help you regain control of your finances and your life.
Identify your personal triggers
While there are many different factors that can cause an addiction to online gambling, some are more common than others. For example, people who are addicted to gambling often feel a rush of dopamine after winning. This dopamine spike is similar to what you experience when you level up in a video game, or receive a “like” on your Facebook post. This is a normal response, but it’s important to remember that if you’re playing online slot games, these wins are not likely to make you feel any happier in the long run.
Identify your personal triggers by paying attention to the way your body responds to a craving, and writing down how long it tends to last. This will help you plan ahead to avoid the triggers when possible and come up with a set of behaviors or thoughts that you can use to counteract cravings. For example, if you are worried that you’re spending too much money on slots, try calling a friend or taking a walk to distract yourself.
If you’re struggling to break your gambling habit, consider signing up for a self-exclusion or getting a non-smartphone. These are great ways to prevent gambling sites from accessing your computer or mobile phone, and can help you stop gambling for good. You could also install a software program on your device that blocks gambling websites, such as Bet Blocker and Gameban.
Avoid the urge to gamble by avoiding triggers, such as visiting your favorite casino sites or watching sports on TV. If your usual route to work or school takes you past a casino, try taking an alternative route. Also, don’t bring credit cards or nonessential cash with you when you go out. Finally, if you’re a compulsive gambler, consider installing an app like the Freedom app that allows you to block websites for specific time periods.
When you’re trying to win on an online slot, it is tempting to bet max. A lot of sites will advise you to do this because they imply that betting on multiple paylines will result in bigger multi-line winnings. However, it’s important to know that random number generators do not change your chances of winning, so betting max does not boost your odds.
Lastly, it’s important to avoid temptation by setting daily, weekly and monthly losses limits for yourself. Once you reach these limits, stop playing for that day, week or month. This will keep you from losing too much and will give you a chance to recover any money that you have lost.