Like millions of others you’re in debt and/or exhibit one or more of the other consequences of compulsive gambling. With casinos dangling a dopamine-laced carrot in front of your face you realize that you need to do all that you can to never again step foot through their literal or virtual front doors. However, you have tried to do so before to no avail. This is why you have come online to ask “How can I ban myself from casinos?” in a manner that will prove to be effective. Kindbridge Behavioral Health has put together a 5-step guide to making that happen. Let’s review!
5 Effective Steps to Banning Yourself from Casinos that Actually Work for Problem Gamblers
1. Ban Yourself from Land-Based Casinos
What banning yourself means, is self exclusion. Aside from Nevada, all remaining U.S. states that allow some form of casino gaming have laws in place to ensure the existence of self exclusion platforms for land-based casinos.
There are essentially three ways to ban yourself from land-based casinos in the USA, depending on which state you reside in. These include state regulated programs, tribal casino programs (where applicable), and individual casino programs, which we provide a brief description of below.
State Regulated Self-Exclusion Programs
Most U.S. states with regulated casino gaming administer a confidential list of self-excluded patrons. Self-excluded patrons are banned from all licensed gambling establishments in the state. There is no technology (i.e. facial recognition) employed to alert security that a self-excluded player has entered an establishment. Instead, programs prohibit patrons from collecting unredeemed jackpots or prizes won while visiting regulated casinos. The period of self-exclusion is specified by the player (you) for a specified term, which typically ranges from 1 year to a lifetime. In nearly all cases for state regulated self exclusion programs the self-imposed ban on casinos is irrevocable.
The list of state regulated self-exclusion programs is a large one. A standard example to reference is California’s Self-Exclusion Program. To identify which is relevant to you, simply perform an online search for “casino self exclusion (enter state)” and you will be delivered the state regulated resource for submitting your request for self exclusion. This will ban you from all participating casinos in the state for the maximum allowable time.
Tribal Casino Self Exclusion Programs
The category of licensed gambling establishments does not include tribal casinos. There are currently 29 states that have tribal gaming which equates hundreds of individual land-based casinos across the country. How can you ban yourself from these casinos? Each tribal casino has its own gaming commission which regulates its own self-exclusion program. Admittedly this creates a complexity for someone who wants to ban themselves from more than one tribal casino. Returning to the example of California, where there are 65 tribal regulatory agencies, an individual would need to enroll in dozens of different self-exclusion programs if they wanted to be banned from them all. Some tribal casinos permit self-exclusion by mail, whereas others require you to go in-person. The latter can be problematic for someone who does not want to enter a gaming establishment (which is a trigger to gamble) so be sure to check if self-exclusion is available at the respective casino’s gaming commission.
Identify which tribal casinos are most relevant to you. A 120 mile radius from your residence is a good place to start. Perform an online search for “(enter tribal casino name) self exclusion” and you will be delivered the resource for submitting your request for self exclusion.
Individual Casino Self Exclusion Programs
Many non-tribal licensed gambling establishments have their own individual self-exclusion programs. These are ideal for individuals who live in areas with one non-tribal casino (or a few non-tribal casinos) within a 120 mile radius and are not able to easily travel to other establishments in the state. Perform an online search for “(enter casino name) self exclusion” and you will be delivered the resource for submitting your request for self exclusion.
2. Ban Yourself from Online Casinos
State-regulated, tribal, and other casino self-exclusion programs are a start, but they typically only apply to land-based casinos. For instance, in the State of New York Voluntary Self Exclusion program it states that an individual can submit a “Request for Voluntary Self-Exclusion from ALL Gaming Opportunities”. However, when you look at the Voluntary Self Exclusion form you’ll see that it does not include online gaming opportunities that are available to New York residents. This is a problem when you consider the proliferation of online gaming.
To ban yourself from online casinos, you need to do so through each online operator. Regulated operators that have online casino products like DraftKings have self-exclusion programs that allow players to ban themselves for a period of 3-,months, 6-months, 1 year, and 5 years. During this self-exclusion period, a player will be met with the following:
- A player can’t log into their account.
- A player can’t make any deposits.
- A player can’t play in any casino games.
- A player can’t use other casino-adjacent products (i.e. sportsbook and DFS).
- A player can’t transact on the marketplace.
- A player won’t be sent any direct marketing messages (email, SMS, etc.).
- A player can’t withdraw funds from their account without monitored assistance.
Especially diligent operators may even direct concerned players to mental health resources. Staying with the example above, DraftKings is credited in working with Kindbridge Behavioral Health to provide players with immediate assistance.
Perform an online search for “(enter casino website/app name) self exclusion” and you will be delivered the resource for submitting your request for self exclusion.
Further, ask your banking institution and/or credit card provider to place a block against transactions that may apply to online casino gaming. In the UK, a vast majority of banks offer customers access to bank gambling blocks (BGB). These BGBs identify a gambling transaction through a code used by online casinos to classify the nature of the transaction. If a BGB is in place, the credit card and debit card authorization process will decline a request to authorize payment when attempted by an operator using that code for the transaction. These tools are not as widespread in the USA as with the UK, but you are encouraged to ask your banking institution and credit card providers directly about available options.
3. Apps That Kick Casinos to the Curb
Add another layer of defense against online gaming in your mission to ban yourself from casinos. Apps that will prevent your smartphones and tablets from accessing online casinos include the following:
*Kindbridge has no affiliation with any of the above apps. Be sure to read online reviews and decide which apps are best suited to your devices.
4. Tell Someone Who Gives a Damn
The methods above are very effective. However, there’s something to be said for the human compassion that those in your life are capable of exhibiting. Consider letting someone who is close to you know that you have banned yourself from casino gaming. They will play a protective role and can help you resist the urge to subvert your own initiatives to bam yourself from casinos. It may be a good friend, family member, companion, partner, teammate, coach, or anyone who is generally conscious of where you are and what you’re doing on any given day. If they catch wind of your intent to visit a casino, they will likely step in. View our guide to Admitting You Have a Gambling Problem for assistance.
5. Talk to This Person
At the end of the day, self exclusion only goes so far, and is generally not sustainable for someone with an especially problematic relationship with casino gaming. If this Gambling Disorder assessment unveils that you land in this category, please talk to an expert who is specifically trained in treating gambling disorder. In fact, anyone concerned about their relationship with casino gaming can greatly benefit from speaking to a counselor. Kindbridge therapists understand exactly what habitual/compulsive casino players are going through and will provide powerful tools to help you break the hold these land-based and virtual establishments have on your life. Reach out via your preferred contact method provided below.
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