Please read this section carefully. It’s a guide to responsible gaming which I'm going to ask you to read and understand before taking any risks with your money.

WinMoney101.com contains links to other websites which provide the chance to win money. The reality is that very many of them require you to take a risk with your own money in order to win. Although many games can be played for low stakes, and a number can be played at low risk if you have the right level of knowledge, this means that it can become easy to lose money in the pursuit of more.

There is a risk of becoming addicted, and that can have many negative consequences.

To avoid that risk, the best advice is not to gamble at all. If you believe you are the type of person that could become addicted, then don't even start.

But if you're determined to gamble to win more money, there are some personality traits to watch for to give you a clue as to whether it may be a problem, and equally there are ways to limit any potential addiction, and get help in cases of problems.

One of the traits of anyone looking to win money is optimism. In most cases that’s a strength, and will serve you well. However, there is a time to give in. The overriding advice is to treat your gambling as fun. What’s the point if you don’t enjoy it? And believe me, losing a lot of money is not what we want anyone using WinMoney101.com to experience.

There’s a big difference between someone who can lose money and it doesn’t affect them, and someone who cannot afford to lose. Which one are you? And can you recognise when you get to the point where it does matter? Understanding responsible gaming will help you to be able to answer these questions.

Provided you’re at the allowed age, and in a jurisdiction which allows it, and meet the necessary deposit requirements, then in most cases you’re going to find that it’s easy to gamble online. This section outlines the ways you can recognise if gambling is becoming a problem for you, provides advice on the ways to prevent it becoming a problem, and gets you links to a number of government and charitable websites which provide support and advice for and to problem gamblers.

Play cautiously. Only play with what you can afford - and what you can afford will vary from time to time and from person to person. The key is not to gamble in such a way as to lose excessive amounts of money or let losing affect you psychologically or physically, or that has a negative impact on those around you (family, friends, work colleagues). If you can achieve that - and stay personally calm, disciplined, and focussed - there should be no reason why you can’t spend what you can afford on betting entertainment.

Always remember that you’re risking your own cash. Playing with real money to win real money can be great fun, provided you stay in control. The ability to stay in control is known as responsible gambling. It’s a term which is widely used and should be seen on every responsible website that offers the chance to win money by using your own cash.

If you reach the point at any time where you think you’re not in control, then please visit any or all of the help websites listed and get help. We see online gambling as a legitimate form of entertainment that is, and will continue to be enjoyed by millions of players throughout the world, but behind that there is a risk that players can exceed the level of comfortable play and incur losses which may affect their lives and the lives of those around them.
 
There are a number of steps which can be taken to limit the potential harmful effects of online gambling.
 
Age - Limiting Access by Minors

Most respectable operators fully enforce age restrictions. These vary from country to country, and are in place for a good reason which we fully support. If you are underage, then do not play, and do not make any attempt to play.
 
Here are some easy steps to help you prevent minors from getting access to gambling websites:
 
1. Use effective child protection software to block access to gaming sites
2. Never leave a computer unattended if you are logged into gaming software
3.  Do not share your credit card or bank account details with minors
4.  Do not leave the "Save Password" option enabled on PC login screens
5.  Make sure you create separate access profiles for your children on computers to prevent access to your personal information.
 
 
Controlling Compulsive Gambling

Have you ever got involved with an activity which is bad for you but it’s almost as if you’re forced to continue? Compulsive gambling sits firmly in this category, and benefits no one. While the majority of people keep their gambling activities within their means, for some it can spiral out of control. In order to help you keep control, remember the following:
 
1. Gambling should be seen as entertainment, with the possibility of winning money
2. Do not chase losses. Risking more and more money to win back what you’ve lost rarely results in success over the long term.
3  Only gamble what you can afford to lose
4  Keep track of the time and amount of money you spend gambling
5  If you need help, then get help. Support websites are listed below.
6. Never play when you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
 
 
Recognising The Problem

One of the key elements of responsible gambling is in recognising when you’re going, or have gone, too far. The following list is of a number of questions which you can ask yourself at any point to check that you have your gambling under control. You should immediately be able to recognise the ‘wrong’ answers. Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions. If you would like to seek professional advice, please visit one of the support sites listed further below:
 
 
Has gambling ever made affected your home life, making you or your family members unhappy in any way?
Has gambling had any impact on your reputation at home or work?
Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
Have you ever gambled to win money with which to pay debts or solve other financial problems?
Has gambling been the cause of any decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
After losing, have you ever felt the need to win back your losses as soon as possible?
Have you lost  time from work or education due to gambling?
After winning have you ever had the urge to try and win more?
Have you ever gambled until the last of your money was gone?
Have you ever borrowed money to allow you to gamble more?
Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?
Have you ever reserved money for gambling which was intended for other expenditures?
Has gambling ever made you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
If you set a time or limit for your gambling, have you ever gambled longer or with more money than you had planned?
Have you ever gambled to escape worries or other problems in your life?
Have you ever committed, or thought of committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
Has gambling caused you to have sleeping difficulties?
Have you ever considered any form of self-harm or suicide as a result of your gambling?
 
 
 
United Kingdom Responsible Gambling Support Organisations

Gamblers Anonymous <http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/>
National Council on Problem Gambling <http://www.ncpgambling.org/>
GamCare <http://www.gamcare.org.uk/>
Helping Hand/IGC <http://www.igcouncil.org/>

Gamblers Anonymous
GambleAware    www.gambleaware.co.uk



US Responsible Gaming Support Organisations

American Gaming Association Code Of Conduct www.americangaming.org
 
 
 
Finally, if you want to understand more about the potential links between gambling and illness, this is a good article which examines the theory in depth.
 
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/23/illness-theory-gaining-ground/
 

Responsible Gaming