Gambling Stories Ireland
We go through life following rules to help us stay grounded and focused so we can achieve what we set our sights on. If we deviate from these rules, we are likely to lose focus and even fail. Likewise, a gambler has to follow some rules. While some will be learned across the way, it is important to take advantage of the experiences of others and what they have learned along the way. Here are some 10 gambling rules to consider when playing casino games.
Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem. This is the website of GA in Ireland.
- Just remember, whatever course of action you take - You will not gamble your way out of a gambling problem. The Gambling Clinic is a trading arm of the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland). We provide specialist CBT treatment for gambling addiction/problem gambling, in Ireland.
- In another crazy gambling story involving Baccarat, a group of 14 players at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City took down $1.5 million in a night due to faulty cards and faulty dealers. The casino was using what they thought were pre-shuffled cards. The players noticed the cards were not pre-shuffled and kept coming out in the same pattern.
Be safe
The first rule when playing at an online casino is to ensure you are safe. With hackers increasingly becoming more sophisticated, you will hear stories of people having their data stolen and end up losing loads of cash. To be on the safe side, gamble in legit, secure, and trusted sites such as Leovegas. This is also to ensure that you get your fair share of winnings and that outcomes are not being doctored.
Be responsible
If there is one rule that is obvious when it comes to casinos, is not to gamble with what one cannot afford to lose. However, you will find people gambling away their paychecks risking it all. Always follow this rule.
Always aim to improve.
To become best at a game, you will be required to strive to improve constantly. Learn as much as you can about your favourite online slots and the strategies involved to get better. It would help if you also played with the best so you can gauge your progress.
Don’t cheat
As with anything in life, cheating usually has its consequences. You might get into trouble with the law, or even get fined or banned from sites that have strict compliance measures such as Leovegas. Cheating will also lead to other gamblers questioning your honour and integrity.
Expect to lose
It is important to understand that an online casino such as Leovegas is a business. This means that it aims to survive and make a profit. Therefore, when gambling, you should accept that results can go either way. If you want the odds to be stacked on your side, then you need to work more on improving your strategy.
Do not count on betting systems.
It is common to find people selling betting systems online to guarantee easy ways to win. Another betting system is basing your outcome on your previous results. It is tempting to increase the size of your bets if, for example, you have won the previous bet. This is a fallacy since it does not increase your probability of winning, but rather makes your bet more volatile.
Learn from the best
To become better, you should associate and try to learn as much from the best. You can follow your favourite gamblers at streaming sites such as Twitch to see how they play and the strategies they use.
Watch your health
Spending long times on your screen can be detrimental to your health. You should exercise regularly and ensure you maintain good posture. You may also want to consider a mobile casino such as the Leovegas app so you can gamble in a comfortable posture and position.
Observe gambling etiquette
Just like any other activity, it is important to be respectful and polite to other gamblers.
Seek help when it becomes a problem
Gambling can be addictive and may often have negative implications such as health issues, financial losses, and deteriorating relationships, among others. If you feel that it is becoming an issue, it is advisable to seek help as soon as possible.
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OVER NINE IN every 10 people reported by the HSE as being treated for a gambling addiction in the past four years were men, new statistics have shown.
Furthermore, it is predominantly young men who present for gambling addiction with the median age of those seeking treatment in recent years at 35 years old.
Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson Louise O’Reilly told TheJournal.ie that the available evidence to date shows that the problem of gambling within society is now “more complex and far more widespread than ever” and a variety of responses are needed to deal with this crisis.
‘Not representative’
Last week, TheJournal.ie revealed figures from the HSE which showed the numbers of people who presented with gambling as the main problem, as reported to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS).
However, as reporting to the NDTRS is optional, the HSE pointed out that its figures in this regard don’t paint an accurate picture of the scale of gambling addiction in Ireland.
It said: “Therefore, these figures cannot be considered complete or representative of the treatment for gambling in a national context.”
In any case, the figures show that the number of cases were people presented with problem gambling were 208 in 2015, 195 in 2016 and 219 in 2017.
With the figures to date for 2018 only covering 60% of cases, the HSE that it had observed 174 cases.
This means that there were at least just under 800 cases where the HSE treated a patient for a gambling addiction in the past four years.
Demographics
Breaking down the numbers, the overwhelming majority of people who present for treatment for a gambling addiction are male, and under 50.
According to figures from the HSE for 2015 to 2017, over 80% of cases treated for gambling were aged between 20 and 49.
The median age for those entering treatment was 35 years of age.
Furthermore, over 90% of cases treated for gambling were male.
In terms of where in the country the problem is most prevalent, the HSE indicated which community healthcare organisations (CHO) area had the most.
There are nine such areas across Ireland.
The highest number of cases in 2015 and 2017 came from individuals who reside in CHO 4 which covers Cork and Kerry.
In 2015, 25% of cases came from either Cork and Kerry. In 2017, this figures was 24%.
In 2016, the highest number of cases (25%) came from CHO 5 – which covers south Tipperary, Carlow/Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford.
Gambling Stories Ireland Genealogy
In terms of where these people received their treatment, the highest proportion was in this CHO 5 in both 2015 and 2016.
In 2017, it was in Dublin south, Kildare and west Wicklow community healthcare programmes that most people received treatment.
O’Reilly added that health services need to step up in terms of how they spread the right messages on problem gambling.
She said: “All the available evidence points to the fact that it is predominantly young men who are suffering from problem gambling and our health services have to be able to educate about this problem and reach out to these young men in a targeted way.