The rule of three decisions
All the important decisions are made before play. The first concerns the amount: money you would not mind spending on an evening, like a cinema ticket. The second concerns time: an hour, an hour and a half, but not “until I get bored”. The third concerns the exit point: what you will do if you double the amount, and what you will do if you lose it all.
A decision written down is kept far more often than one made in your head. One line in your phone's notes is enough. These three decisions must not be changed during play, because in the heat of the moment a person judges risk worse than beforehand.
What not to do
- Play with borrowed money or money meant for living expenses.
- Raise the bet to win back what you have lost.
- Play when tired, upset or after drinking.
- Treat play as a way to earn or a way out of debt.
- Hide what you spend on play from your family.
Signs of a problem
Gambling addiction develops gradually and is hard to notice from the inside. Recurring situations are the cue to stop: you spend more than you planned; you think about play while doing something else; you get irritable when you cannot play; you borrow money; you promise yourself to stop and do not.
If any of this happens regularly, ordinary willpower may not be enough. That is not weakness of character but a recognised disorder that specialists treat.
What helps
Start with limits that do not depend on your mood. Legal operators provide deposit and time limits in your account, as well as self-exclusion, which closes access to the account for a chosen period. Banks let you block payments to gambling services.
Tell someone close to you about the situation and see a psychologist or psychotherapist. The sooner you start, the easier it is to regain control. Gambling is permitted for adults only: in Uzbekistan, from the age of 18.
In Uzbekistan, legal operators are those licensed by NAPP, the National Agency for Perspective Projects. Only with them are self-control tools mandatory under the licence terms.