Fantasy Stars takes responsible gambling and the promotion of responsible gambling very seriously. We are a company designed to help our readers get more out of their fantasy contests. Both paid and free.
In Australia, our government and laws recognise Daily Fantasy Sports as a form of gambling and as such make all DFS operators obtain a gambling license to host contents. Australian’s love to bet. In fact, a study conducted in 2009 by the Australian Government found that 70% of Australian’s had gambled in some way shape or form during that year.
Fantasy Stars is aware of the potential risks associated with paid contests and gambling in general. We would like to provide the following information for you to read over.
What is problem gambling?
Sometimes known as gambling addiction or gambling compulsion is the urge to gamble consistently despite the potential negative consequences that gambling may have on your life and the lives of people around you.
Problem gamblers start to lose control. The activity no longer becomes enjoyable and it starts to consume them.
Problem gambling is more than just the loss of money, it’s often a loss of friendships and can cause serious damage to mental and physical health.
Signs of a gambling problem
Financial signs
- Some common financial warning signs that someone may have a problem with gambling include:
- Wanting to sell household or personal items for ‘fast cash’
- Regularly short of money even though you earn a solid wage
- Borrowing money on a regular basis
- Having many loans at the one time
- Being secretive about financial records or payslips
- Unpaid bills/disconnection notices
- Lack of food in the house
Mood and behaviour swings
- When someone develops a gambling problem, there are often noticeable changes to their mood and behaviour, including:
- Becoming withdrawn from others/family events
- Performance at work is being affected
- Being worried, agitated or upset for no apparent reason
- Reporting feeling hopeless, depressed, frustrated or suicidal
- Changes in personality – sleeping, eating, or sexual relationship patterns
- Controlling and/or manipulative behaviour
- Using threats, lies or charm to manipulate others
- Changes in a person’s mood and behavior can impact significantly on work, study and personal relationships.
Time related signs
- Some common time-related signs that could indicate someone has a problem with gambling include:
- Spending more and more time gambling
- Being secretive about unexplained absences
- Often being late for commitments
- Over-using sick days and days off
- Taking an unusual amount of time for simple tasks (e.g. taking two hours to get the paper from corner store).
Tools if you think you have a problem
One of the best websites to check out is Gamblers Help http://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/
They provide self-help tools, live chat, a call centre and lots of other useful information.
The Australian Government also has a website: http://www.problemgambling.gov.au/
They also have some great resources worth checking out if you feel like you’re losing control of things.