Not all gambling is a problem. Gambling may be low risk or it may be harmful.

Low-risk gambling means you:

• limit how much time and money you spend gambling
• accept your losses, and don’t try to win them back
• enjoy winning, but know it happened by chance
• balance gambling with other fun activities
• don’t gamble to earn money or pay debts
• don’t gamble when your judgment is impaired by alcohol or other drugs
• never borrow money or use personal investments or family savings to gamble
• don’t gamble to escape from your problems or feelings
• don’t hurt your job, health, finances, reputation or family through your gambling.
  

Harmful gambling means you have started to:

• lie about your gambling or keep it a secret
• lose track of time and play for longer than you meant to
• feel depressed or angry after gambling
• spend more money than you planned, or more than you can afford
• ignore work and family responsibilities because of gambling
• borrow money or use household money to gamble
• “chase your losses” to try to win back your money
• believe that gambling will pay off in the end
• see gambling as the most important thing in your life
• use gambling to cope with your problems or to avoid things
• have conflicts with family and friends over gambling
• ignore your physical and emotional health because of gambling.

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