If you’re addicted to gambling on online slots, it is important that you find ways to manage your behavior. This could include getting help from a professional, setting time limits or limiting spending. It is also important to avoid running out of money too quickly. The best way to do this is to practice what the pros call bankroll management, which involves placing bets that are in line with your budget. In addition, it is important to recognize that you have a problem and that your addiction is affecting your life.
Most gamblers blame themselves when they can’t stop gambling, assuming that they just aren’t disciplined enough or that if they were like their friends who don’t have a problem, things would be different. The truth is that the real issue is a matter of brain chemistry. Every little win triggers a burst of dopamine, our natural reward chemical. In fact, neuroscience has recently linked non-drug behavioral addictions to changes in the brain. This includes everything from online gaming to likes on Facebook.
Gambling addiction can become a problem when it becomes no longer about the money. When you start to spend more than you are bringing in, your gambling starts to have a negative impact on your lifestyle and you may need larger sums of money or play more frequently to feel the same high. This can be very difficult to overcome.
Many people use online gambling as a distraction from other problems in their lives, such as stress or boredom. However, this can become a vicious cycle as you start to feel more and more stressed or bored and turn to the casino in search of a fix. This can have a serious impact on your health, work and relationships.
One of the most important things you can do to curb your gambling addiction is to put more barriers between yourself and your addictive behaviour. This might be by using an app such as Bet Blocker or Gameban that blocks gambling sites, or by contacting your bank to ask them to exclude you from online gambling transactions. It is also possible to self-exclude from casinos using their official self-exclusion programs.
You should also take some time to look into local support services. Some of these will offer face-to-face counselling or group support. Others will provide phone numbers to a national helpline and will also have self-exclusion tools available. Some of these services are free, others charge a small fee for their services. In either case, it is important to get help as soon as you think that you might be suffering from a gambling problem. This is because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to break free from this habit. Moreover, gambling addiction can cause serious harm to your family and finances, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. By taking these steps, you can get the help you need and reclaim your life.