Virtual Addiction to Canadian Real Money Online Casinos

Canada has always been a country with the highest gambling participation. Over 80% of Canadians replied that they had played casino amusements online and offline. And the Loto Quebec alone generated CA$3.7 billion in 2017 and increased the revenues in 2018 by 3.7%. The 2019 season also shows increasing revenues.

Internet online casinos offer exciting amusements, which may, however, cause a problem entertainment. When a person plays online slots, roulette or any other gaming product, he or she may become extremely passionate about it and treat it too seriously.

Unfortunately, according to 2016 statistics, over 25% of all Canadians have experienced gambling problems of different severity. This article will determine the indications of obsessive gaming behavior and explain how to cope with its side-effects.

Symptoms of Compulsive Behavior

Generally, the addiction develops imperceptibly to the gamer and he or she cannot evaluate their actions at casinos for real money properly. However, for you, and your relatives, friends and close people this information will be useful if you think you have some problems. The addiction signs show themselves in the following way:

You become upset when you do not have enough time to play slots and other casino games.
You feel blame for your activity and you hide any evidence of your gaming. You prefer gambling online in virtue of the fact that it is easier to hide.
You start playing too often.
You would rather spend your free time betting on casino games than resting with friends and family. You play desktop and mobile casinos, watch YouTube videos about slots, sports betting, reliable operators 90% of your free time.
You still spend money on betting amusements despite the fact that you cannot afford them anymore.
You start getting loans to cover casino debts.
You feel your life has become dry, dim and cheerless without an evening of free spins play.

Reasons for Compulsive Betting

According to NAFGAH, the most compulsive gambling sensitive age categories are people from 16 to 24 years old (1.4% of problem betting risk) and from 35 to 44 years old (1.1% of risk). Men also have higher risks of becoming addicted to betting sites. The addiction involves a medical background as well. It is revealed that the individual with the dopamine release abnormalities is at very high risk. When there is a disturbance of dopamine sensor function, an individual requires stronger stimulus for the same amount of the hormone released. That is why addicted people need more wagering to be satisfied. As a rule, compulsive wagering may be caused by multiple factors in a single period of time or during a long period.

Social Reasons

Most people turn into gambling addicts to the stress they feel every day or due to the tragedy they have experienced. There are several other social causes of compulsive betting:

A wish to avoid stress.
An attempt to socialize.

Casinos’ Contribution

Casinos and software providers, intentionally or not, may be conducive to gambling addiction. It comes from the nature of the gaming industry. The reward system in betting amusements, especially in gambling machines, fosters an individual to place more and more bets. The main aspects include:

People can play hundreds of games within a couple of minutes using the instant play feature. New players can easily register. The amusements are compatible with mobile devices. These mobile games ensure 24/7 audience involvement. There is a reach choice of payment means. They allow bettors to make deposits and withdrawals in various currencies using payment options from bank cards to digital wallets like Skrill and PayPal. Even Bitcoin is available.
High-quality graphics in realistic games and the rewarding nature of sound effects which create a feeling of a huge success after a winning outcome. A rich game selection makes people try new titles and spend more time at.
Reward systems for consistent players. In the industry, these players are named high rollers. The casinos for big spenders offer appealing loyalty programs which appreciate wagering thousands of dollars. The Loyalty scheme is a stimulus for the player to stay at a casino for a long period of time and place bets consistently. It can contribute to addiction.
Attractive progressive jackpots. It is a variation of survivorship bias. People play slots in an attempt to win millions. Mega Moolah is the largest progressive jackpot in the industry indeed. It was officially recorded and included in the Guinness World Records. However, behind tens of winners hide millions of unlucky players who could not hit the desirable prize for tens of years. The chances to win such a prize are minimal. Nobody speaks of the fails.

Casino Bonuses Relation to Gaming Addiction

There is a wide variety of casino bonuses and promotions such as extra spins, free play, cash reward variations for popular games. They serve as a magnet for existing and new bettors. It is believed they add thrill and excitement to the casino play. The player chooses among hundreds of options and wants to try them all. It is claimed that the player should not to miss the promotions. The rewards can be available for only 5 days or even 3 days.

Thus, beginners in the attempt to grab everything at once and in time, register at many casinos and claim many bonuses. Anyway, the best thing you can do is to ignore marketing tricks and examine the terms and conditions in details before you enter your username and password for a new account at a virtual staking house.

Casino Bonus Terms Tricks

The bonus rewards on numerous amusements may become a real burden in the case of complicated terms and conditions. There is a feature called game weighting. It determines how much of your stake is calculated towards the rollover conditions. And it instantly increases the real rollover amount for you.

It is disastrous for Canadian casino players to claim and complete bonuses for Blackjack, Baccarat, and any other game except for video slots.

Problem Gambling Treatment in Canada

Fortunately, there are several gambling treatment establishments in Canada. The addiction centers are situated in every province. They treat the compulsive betting as a systemic problem which requires a systematic approach. The treatment options are aimed to identify the very reason for the problem and neutralize it. You can reach the provincial addiction treatment facility like Canadian Centre for Addictions.

Casinos and Software Providers Try to fight Problem Gambling?

Notable online staking rooms such as Vegas Casino, Casino Casumo, ComeOn Casino, BetFair Casino, William Hill Casino, 888 Casino, LeoVegas Casino, Guts Casino, and others, operating within the territory of Canada, the United States and Europe, support responsible betting. They educate bettor to gamble responsibly by the means of instructions in the form of a gambling guide, info about compulsive wagering symptoms, and enhanced account management options. Gaming rooms offer such pragmatic play features as:

Limits on session duration and frequency. You can set a break for a day, week, or month. It can last up to 6 months. When you reach the limit, you are restricted for a set period of time.
Limits on the spent bankroll.

You can find the responsible pay features in the products by Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, Playtech, NextGen, and others. Independent testing agencies like eCOGRA are also concerned with compulsive betting. They test casinos and ensure the implementation of the addiction preventive measures in the industry. Online operators are obliged to take care of bettors by implementing the above-mentioned features.

How not to Become Addicted?

If you have ever had problems with gaming, it would be better for you not to make stakes at all. For those who have no problems, I advise gambling for fun. It is quite easy to play responsibly when you understand that the variety of games is designed to entertain you. There is an infinitely small chance that a casino will make you a millionaire.