Technologies are increasingly entering the modern world, and it seems that even we don’t pay enough attention to their huge presence in our daily lives. Not only while we are working but also in our personal lives, the Internet is now an integral part of our being. The fast progress of new technologies often does not give us enough time to protect ourselves from the challenges and dangers that come with them. And all this is mixed with the conventional way of life, in which we buy our food from the neighborhood supermarket and our clothes from some big mall. And now we are living between the earth and the clouds. It is difficult for us to strike a balance with simple things like whether to pay our electricity bills online or through one of the household bill counters. This also applies if we are the type of people who like to have fun in the form of betting, whether in the gaming room or live on a site. In the current difficult economic environment, where we wander from crisis to crisis, as well as the ever-increasing prices of products, we are vulnerable to easy success and the desire to accumulate money quickly. And this, on the background of our passion for games, leads to the danger of addiction: gambling addiction.
Since 2015, The Responsible Gaming Foundation, established by the two Bulgarian entrepreneurs Rossi McKee and Milo Borissov, has been protecting the principles of socially responsible practices in the gaming industry. With its many years of experience, the organization has contributed to the introduction of many policies in the field, the aim of which is prevention and support of vulnerable persons.
In October 2022, The Responsible Gaming Foundation (RGF) financially supported The National Drugs, Alcohol and Gambling Helpline, which is staffed by psychologists from the “Solidarnost” Association for Rehabilitation of Addicted People.
Together with them, the experts from RGF identified some of the most common first signs of gambling addiction, which are often observed among people with similar problems.
Here they are:
- You want to play more and more, especially after losing;
- It seems to you that once you start winning, it will continue indefinitely;
- It’s hard for you to stop, even when you promise not to play again;
- You have financial difficulties because you are spending more than the game funds;
- You borrow money and even “temporarily steal” to have money to play;
- You also play during working hours (online) trying to recover your losses or win more;
- Any other activity that you used to think was fun starts to turn into an unwanted obligation for you.
If you find some of the signs described above in yourself, then you must definitely think about your approach to the game – are these not the earliest signs of a behavioral deviation that will lead to addiction? RGF experts recommend seeking professional advice to prevent developing a gambling addiction. One of the ways is to contact the experts of “Solidarity” on the phone +359888 99 18 66. Your call is anonymous and free of charge throughout the country.