The Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines

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Gambling involves playing a game of chance for money. ​If you gamble, the new Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines show you how to lower the risks and harms associated with gambling.

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There are only three guidelines, but you should follow all three.

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The Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines Scientific Working Group used the most current scientific evidence available when developing the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines. They are for people of legal gambling age who want to make more informed choices about their gambling.

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Guideline 1: Gamble no more than 1% of household income:

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Don’t bet more than 1% of your household income before tax per month. For example, someone with a household income of $70,000 before tax should gamble no more than $58 per month. 

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Guideline 2: Gamble no more than 4 days per month

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The guidelines suggest you don’t gamble more than 4 times a month. This works out to roughly once a week. For the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines to help individuals lower their risk of experiencing harms from gambling, they must follow all three guidelines at the same time and not be selective about which guidelines to follow when gambling. 

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Guideline 3: Avoid regularly gambling at more than 2 types of games

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If you gamble on a regular basis, don’t play at more than 2 types of games.

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Familiar types of gambling games include:

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• Lotteries

• Sports betting

• Table games (i.e. roulette, poker blackjack, craps)

• Slot machines

• Scratch tickets

• Horse racing  

• Bingo

• Video lottery terminals (VLTs)

• Online forms of gambling like poker or slot machines

• Forex Market, Futures, stocks, Crypto etc,  if you do not have a professional background in this sector

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Special Risk Populations and Contextual Factors

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If you have experienced any of the following risk factors, then these limits may not be suitable for you:

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• Problems from alcohol, cannabis or other drug use

• Problems with anxiety or depression

• Personal or family history of gambling problems or substance use disorders

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In these instances, you should consider gambling less than these guidelines recommend or not at all.

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Gambling Type: 

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The type of gambling games you play makes a difference.

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Fast-paced games that involve frequent betting can more quickly lead to problems. With slot machines, electronic gaming machines, poker and many online forms of gambling, people can spend a lot of money in a short time.

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Reasons for Gambling

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What are your reasons for gambling? Is it for fun? If you’re gambling to escape problems in your life, you’re more likely to experience harm from gambling and might find it difficult to gamble within the suggested guidelines.