Online Casinos Directory

Gambling is supposed to be fun, a way to unwind, relax and a chance to win some extra and or much need cash. Some people have become rich from gambling, though that is extremely rare and no one should play with the intentions of getting rich quick or over a period of time. Like anything fun, and addicting, gambling can become a problem for some people, and it has become a problem for some people and today there are groups available to help those that need it to stop gambling. Sadly, there have been many cases where people have lost their homes, savings, college educations, and much more, because they couldn’t stop gambling. This is one of the reasons why anti-gambling activists are showing such strong opposition. They know that there are dangers if gambling is allowed and people who have a proclivity to addictions could be in trouble.

Just like some people can drink and know when to stop, some people can gamble and know when enough is enough. And just like people who drink and cannot stop, so is the same for some gamblers. Most gamblers with a problem speak of similar stories and situations, it starts with a really big win, and the big win creates a false perception that winning money through gambling is easy, which anyone who does gamble knows it isn’t, or eventually realizes this after becoming familiar with gambling. While it is true that almost every game can be beaten in the short term, there has not been one player who has said they have been able to sustain long terms, as there is no perfect or fool proof strategy to any game. However, some gamblers get fixated on recreating that first big win scenario. Like alcohol, a big win of any amount usually creates a buzz within your body, and that feeling that is created is something that the gambler gets hooked on, just like the alcoholic. When a gambler needs a fix, he or she starts betting more and more and more, and the outcome gets worse as the more betting that is done, doesn’t mean the more winning is being had.

Part two coming next.

Traditionally those who have gambling addictions are the ones who are wagering the most over time and the ones who have the hardest time walking away from a table. They are the “big spenders” who sit at casino tables and wager for hours. What casino would turn down that kind of return—especially with a given “out” if they happen to win? It is an ethical issue in the end. Should a casino be able to take money from players who they know they can’t pay? It seems like a sure-fire way of taking advantage of players and taking their money without conscience. Legislators are working to change things though. They want to reword the self-exclusion laws and make them more realistic. They want the casinos to be more vigilant in checking the names and truly not allowing those on the list entry to their casinos.

This is just one of the rules and regulations in Canadian gambling that need to be rewritten. It will take time, but gambling is popular enough that operators have a good idea of where the problem issues are and what needs to be changed. It is now up to those operators to make good on their promise to “protect” the gambling public…even if it means that they are ridding themselves of hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in revenue. The money is at the expense of players who have already asked for help by being put on the self-exclusion list in the first place. They should be given the protection they asked for and casinos should have extra checkpoints where gamers can be turned away if necessary.

In the future expect casinos to have additional rules regarding all their procedures, and that includes the self-exclusion rules. It obviously isn’t working for players with addictions and that is a major fault. It means that legislators have to create laws that govern how a casino checks players as they enter the casino and various rooms of the location. It is clear that casino operators are not vigilantly watching now and that is going to be a necessity as things move in the world of gambling.

Just like the rest of the world Canada is weighing out its gambling options. The country is hoping to legalize and regulate gambling successfully but it already is having problems. Studies are showing that a record number of residents are moving forward with gambling. The market is growing exponentially and that means that it needs to be ready for the huge surge in customers. Over the past few months the recession has made it difficult for gamers. A lack of discretionary funds has made gambling a low priority on the list of activities. People had to cut back on spending, vacations, luxuries and of course gambling. It made things difficult for operators and many had to tap into their cash reserves to survive. Canada is the same—operators have been struggling and now legislators are pushing for rewriting of codes.

One of the main problems is that the current rules being followed are not sufficient to protect players, according to lawmakers. They believe that an immediate rewording of laws needs to happen before more people are hurt financially and emotionally. In question are the “self-exclusion laws.” In these laws, casinos are to maintain a list of gamblers who believe that they either have addictions or could have addictions. Their names are then checked on a list and they aren’t allowed entry to the casino. This opting out of casino gambling is a good move—if it worked. Unfortunately throughout the past it has failed. More than a few players who were on the self-exclusion list were allowed entry to casinos in the various provinces of the area. They played games and one even won. Gaming critics say that casino operators will maintain the self-exclusion list, but few are eager to follow it. It is a great way for a casino to continue taking a player’s money and then have an immediate out if he or she wins. They can fall back on the law that says they should not have been at a casino table to begin with and therefore are not eligible for the win. Of course they would be informed of this after spending hundreds, maybe thousands, at the casino’s various games. It’s a win-win situation for gambling operators to be lax in enforcing the self-exclusion rules at the door. Once rules are made safe for gambling addicts, then online casinos will be the next target.

Part two coming next.

British Columbia is the latest place to shore up gambling laws and regulations. It’s no secret that the country is expanding its gambling regimen. Operators see the huge dollars available via gaming and want to take advantage of the huge potential dollars. One thing recent research has shown is that online gambling sites are growing exponentially. Although other markets have been hampered by the recent recession, gambling isn’t one of them. In fact, it is the only market that has shown consistent growth. Of course that growth isn’t as fast as other markets, but it still is moving quickly to return to pre-recessionary numbers. That is great news for gamers and industry insiders who have been long suffering in the signs for a financial turnaround in the market.

Recently legislators of British Columbia utilized the BC Lottery Corporation to help them alter current regulations in an effort to improve gaming. The current methods are reportedly insufficient, according to legislators, and are in need of a total revamp. This is why the BAC Lottery Corporation has been commissioned to play an integral role in the issue’s reconfiguration. Part of the biggest issue the organization will have to deal with is the “self-exclusion” rule. This is a rule where people can volunteer to have their names put on a list at casinos. Casinos are then instructed to not allow them into their businesses or to gamble. Those on the self-exclusion list are self-admitted addicts who have noted their need for help.

This past month one player was able to play and win big at a casino. Unfortunately, when he went to recoup his win, he was found to be on the self-exclusion list. How it was not found that he was on the list prior to gaming, is what is in question. How effective is the list if players on it are still allowed to continue gambling? Had the player not won, would he even have been found to be gambling at the casino at all? These are some questions that the lottery board are going to have to address and find viable solutions to prior to continuing gambling regulation.

Part of the problem with legalizing and regulating gaming is that some opponents believe it will open the door to addiction problems.  There are thousands of gambling addicts in the world and they each are at varying levels of therapy. Part of the danger was that casinos are all over the world are accessible. They have specials and bonuses that draw people in and keep them gambling at the facility. People who are prone to addictions can fall into a lot of trouble there.  They keep on gambling and lose a lot more money than they had planned. This opens the door for more problems—defaulting loans, foreclosure, job loss are all offshoots of addiction.

Opponents of online gambling are citing the already huge problems in the field of addiction as growing bigger if gambling is taken to the virtual world. That means that people prone to addictions can log in at any time from the privacy of their own homes, at work, at school, in libraries, etc. It’s a difficult thing to manage because the internet is so prevalent in our world today. This means that those who are already prone to addictions are going to have to face temptations of logging on and playing online gambling games on a daily basis. It may be hard for some to regulate themselves and it could then start a domino effect in the world. One issue that has come about as a result of addiction centered around Loto-Quebec. This time Loto-Quebec was ordered to pay for therapy for gambling addicts. There was a class action lawsuit against the company and now the settlement they will be paying off is $50 million and will cover therapy for over 120,000 in the province. It will allot for about $5,000 per person per session of therapy.

This is just one example of how addictions may come back and harm companies that offer various forms of gambling. It is hoped that legislators will anticipate problems and be able to build safeguards and protective measures in to the code they draw up for legalizing online gambling before it comes about. 

Governor Patrick of Massachusetts once ran for office on a pro-gambling platform. Like many other legislators he took the stand that logically, the state should move into gambling as a means of finding the huge funds it needs to survive. Like most states, Massachusetts fell under the same difficulties as a result of the recent recession.  The lending, housing and car manufacturing crashes all pushed the economy into a recession and though experts are saying it is now over, there is still a lot of ‘catch-up’ for states to make. The most recent problem for them to deal with is the huge deficits they are left with. Many state legislators are trying to move to a pro-gambling stance as a means of bringing in the estimated billions of dollars available via gambling.

Patrick however, as of late has changed his stance somewhat on the issue of gambling. To align with social progessives in his party, he seems to be moving to the other side. He helped drew up a bill that would have brought casino resorts to the state, but the bill was quickly denied. The main opposition was led by former House speaker Salvatore DiMasi. DiMasi was at first instrumental in pushing the slots initiative forward, but then changes his mind too.

The biggest issue to contend with is the ethical stand some conservatives are pushing. They believe that the amount of problems legalizing gambling would create for society far outweighs the money.  The estimate is that millions of annual dollars could be found via managing gambling the right way, but there are added millions in addiction resources. Martin Engleson of Gamblers Anonymous said, “If you expand casinos straight across the board, you will inevitably create more addicts…without the proper resources to handle the change, society is in trouble.”  Critics believe that the millions of dollars states believe will come in via gambling revenues will be eaten up quickly by the need for new programs and resources to handle new addict. In particular young people and the elderly are noted to be particualrly vulnerable to the growth of online and land-based casino expansions.