All of us at The Lotto Colonel encourage a responsible attitude towards playing lotto games. Responsible gaming means staying in control of the amount of time we spend on gaming, as well as the amount of money we play with. Basically, we treat lotto trading as a form of entertainment as part of a wider, balanced lifestyle. Like many other forms of entertainment, lotto has a monetary element to it and we strongly advise our readers and supporters not to spend money they cannot afford to lose.
As part of this policy, we only work with lotto agents and partners who feel the same way as we do, and who offer appropriate tools and controls to encourage responsible play. Please take the time to understand and, if necessary, use the tools offered by our partners to enjoy your gaming responsibly:
Reality Check
A Reality Check function is often used as a first step of responsible gaming. When you switch on an automatic Reality Check function you’ll be prompted at set intervals of how much time and money you’ve spent during that time frame. You can then choose to end your session or return to the game.
Deposit Limits
With a Deposit Limit you set a maximum deposit cap for yourself for a given time period. Once your cap is reached you won’t be unable to make any further deposits within that period.
Spend Limits
A Spend Limit restricts the amount of money you spend within a set period of time. Once you reach your maximum spending cap, you’ll be unable to spend any more until the end of that period.
Session Time Limits
When you switch on the Session Time Limit function, you’ll be logged out immediately when you’ve been on a site for a pre-determined amount of time, regardless of what you’re doing at that moment. Any unsaved actions will be lost and if you want to continue playing you’ll need to log back in.
Time Out
When you switch on the Session Time Limit function, you’ll be logged out immediately when you’ve been on the site for a pre-determined amount of time, regardless of what you’re doing on the site at that moment. Any unsaved actions will be lost and if you want to continue playing you’ll need to log back in.
Self-Exclusion
The Self-Exclusion facility will disable you from performing any action in your account. During a set period of time, specified by you, you’ll be unable to log in to your account. During this time you won’t be able to check your previous entries and you won’t be able to place any new orders.
Protecting Minors
The Lotto Colonel and our partner lotto agents strictly enforce a minimum age limit for all readers and customers. As a general rule, anyone under the age of 18 years is stringently prohibited from registering an account and using our/their services. Please note, however, that in some jurisdictions you may still be prohibited from playing lotteries even when you’re already older than 18. In those countries and territories where there is an age limit upwards of 18, local legislation prevails and you are still prohibited from registering an account and using our/their services.
Recognising Problematic Gaming Behaviour
Problematic gaming behaviour causes harm to the player and those around him or her and no one is entirely immune to the possibility of succumbing to a future gaming addiction. The severity of such an addiction should not be underestimated. Someone struggling with an addiction to online gaming may display signs of stress, depression, anxiety, they may fall behind at work, and they may worry about money.
An addiction to online gaming is often difficult to diagnose. In contrast to, e.g. some people who go through a period of substance abuse, the physical effects displayed by someone who is addicted to online gaming may be entirely absent. Furthermore, what causes an addiction to online gaming is a matter of scientific discussion. Problematic gaming behaviour seems more likely to occur in people whose family members display or have displayed the same type of behaviour. Another factor which seemingly increases the risk is the age at which a person first starts gaming. Additionally, a young gamer’s risk may rise when he or she experiences a big win early on.
Should you or anyone in your family or social circle be affected, we recommend you seek professional help. Even if you are unsure, it is always best to broach the subject and reach out to a specialist as the possible ramifications of an addiction are very serious! At the foot of every page on our website we include links to specialist resources and organisations, including Gamstop and BeGambleAware who can provide specialist help and guidance in dealing with gaming addiction.
