Responsible Gaming

Betway supports Responsible Gaming. On this page you can find test if your gaming behaviour is problematic. An extensive list of help facilities per province are listed below.

SOS GAMBLING is a free helpline for you and your family or friends. You can reach them 24/7 by phone on 0800/35.777.

In this folder of the Belgian Gaming Commission you can find more information on gaming addiction and where to go if you think your behaviour might be problematic.

Self-test

Financial risk or debt are not only at stake. By playing excessively, the player runs other risks which can have a strong negative impact on himself and those around him: anxiety, aggressiveness, isolation, separation, divorce, health problems, depression, suicidal thoughts are other consequences of excessive gambling. In any case, gambling will never be the solution to financial, family or other problems, but will only make them worse. Keeping gambling will not solve gambling debts either.

Talking to a professional about one’s problems can help.

Go to gokhulp.be for more information.

Do not hesitate to go to the information and self-help website to take the test to see if your gambling behavior affects your health. In case of financial problems, do not hesitate to ask for help from a competent service in debt mediation or assistance in budget management.

You will find the contact details of these services at the community’s public social welfare centres (CPAS-OCMW) and for Brussels: www.grepa.be; for Wallonia: http://socialsante.wallonie.be/surendettement/citoyen/?q=services-mediation-debts; for Flanders: CAW (lien https://www.caw.be/ ) or www.eerstehulpbijschulden.be.

Gambling is primarily a form of entertainment but can also lead to a lot of problems. In that case, it becomes an indispensable part of your life, a real drug, which makes you totally lose control of the situation. This leaflet is not only intended as a preventive action, but to give heart to gambling addicts and remind them that they are not alone in facing the problem. There are people they can count on.

When are you addicted? Gambling addiction doesn’t happen overnight. It gradually becomes harder to resist the urge to gamble. In the beginning, you perceive gambling as an amusing pastime. Pretty soon, you need more and more money to gamble, you spend more and more time gambling. Borrowed money has to be repaid, and family and friends take second place to gambling. Although you don’t notice it immediately, you become dependent on gambling, and it becomes an obsession. Even if somebody says something to you about it, you continue, at all costs. But you cannot recoup your losses. Gambling becomes your only interest. It isolates you from the outside world and causes you (financial, health) problems. You lose your zest for living. By taking these tips, you can keep gambling fun.

> Before starting to gamble : try to set an amount of money and time for you to gamble

> Always be aware : how much time it is taking you, and How much it costs you

> Don’t try to recoup your losses

> Don’t gamble your entire winnings

> Bear in mind that ultimately, you will lose more than you will win.

Are you gambling too much?

This “EIGHT gambling screen” was developed by Sean Sullivan (1999). If you answered “yes” 4 times or more, it may mean that you have a problem. The result of the test may be different, depending on whether you answer how it used to be or how it is now.

To test whether gambling is having an influence on your health, you can complete the following test. Answer the test as honestly as possible.

Sometimes I’ve felt depressed or anxious after a session of gambling
Sometimes I’ve felt guilty about the way I gamble
When I think about it, gambling has sometimes caused me problem
Sometimes I’ve found it better not to tell others, especially my family, about the amount of time or money I spend gambling
I often find that when I stop gambling, I’ve run out of money
Often I get the urge to return to gambling to win back losses from a past session
Yes, I have received criticism about my gambling in the past
Yes, I have tried to win money to pay debts

If you think that gambling is having a negative impact on your health, it would be advisable to talk about it to your doctor or a person you trust. You can also contact an organisation that provides assistance in your area to discuss your concerns.

Pathological gambling was recognised by the World Health Organisation as an illness in 1980.

Useful addresses per province

BRUSSELS

Association for preventing abuse and protecting players

Rue d'Atois 16

1000 Brussels

02/514.02.08

Internet and Gambling Disorders Clinic - Department of Psychiatry

Av. Hippocrate 10

1200 Brussels

02/764.21.60

Responsible Gaming

Self-test

Useful addresses per province

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