Responsible Gaming
Mission statement
The Stars Group strives to assist and protect players who are at risk of the potential negative effects of gambling through a number of means, including self-exclusion tools, guidance on responsible gaming, risk identification and player verification.
We believe in educating our customers to empower them through knowledge. Click here for an interactive presentation on Responsible Gaming and Problem Gambling.
What we can do to help you
Age verification
Any underage customer who has provided dishonest or inaccurate information regarding their true age may have all winnings forfeited and could face criminal prosecution.
- Every person signing up for a new account must check a box that indicates that they are at least 18 years of age. This notifies everybody that we don’t accept customers under 18.
- When a customer creates an account with us, we collect their name, address, and birth date to confirm that the customer is at least 18 years old.
- We do not target underage customers with our marketing and advertising. It is neither good business nor consistent with our personal and corporate values to attract underage customers.
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If you have children or teenagers in your household, take extra care to secure your computer and mobile devices.
- All Windows computers can be set up to have password control so that you must enter a password to get to the desktop, and mobile devices can be set up to require a passcode to unlock. In general, this is a good practice, but it’s even more important when there are children or teenagers in your household. Also, keep your Stars ID and password private. You can elect to have the software not remember your password each time you log-in. If you have any concern that somebody else might attempt to access your Stars Account, you should not allow the software to remember your password.
- If you have children or teenagers in your household, use protection software that allows you to limit the websites to which they have access, prevent file sharing, and generally give you detailed control over how your children use the Internet. Here is a list of some of those programs:
- If you are aware of an underage person using our platform, let us know. Simply contact Support and we will get right on it. Our first step is to investigate, and if warranted, freeze the customer's account and request identification from that customer. We take these reports seriously.
- Be a responsible parent. In many ways, this is nothing more than keeping your eyes and ears open. If you hear your children talking about online gambling accounts, deposits, and withdrawals, start asking questions. If you see the software on your child's computer, uninstall it and ask more questions. A responsible parent is the best start to preventing underage gaming. You can find advice on how to talk to a young person about gambling here.
Self-exclusion
If you believe that betting might be a hindrance to your life rather than a form of entertainment, we want to help you. First, please review the following questions:
- Did you ever lose time from work or school due to betting?
- Has betting caused you to neglect your own welfare or that of your family?
- Have you ever sold anything or borrowed money to finance your betting?
- Have you often kept betting until your last cash was gone?
- Have you ever kept betting longer than you had planned?
- Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your betting?
If you answered “Yes” to several of these questions, we encourage you to visit Gamblers Anonymous.
You can take the test in its entirety at one of the following websites:
www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/self-assessment-tool/
www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/screening-tools/
Also, we provide you with the ability to exclude yourself for various periods of time.
To do this, go to the main lobby of the desktop software, select ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Exclude me from playing’. On mobile, go to ‘More’ > ‘Settings & Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’. On the website, login then go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’.
Please note that all self-exclusions and time outs are irreversible for the duration of the specified time. In addition, all self-exclusion periods are inclusive of all markets. Your self-exclusion will apply to your Stars Account, and to any product that requires your Stars ID to play.
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- We offer 12-hour and 24-hour cooling off periods as well as 7 day, 30 day, 60 day, and 120 day time out periods. You will not be able to bet with us. Once you click the button that requests a time out or a self-exclusion period the time out or self-exclusion period will begin. If you have poker or gaming tables open, you will be asked to close them. Once you’ve done that you will not be able to bet, deposit or make inter-account transfers with your Stars Account. You will be able to login, access the cashier and shop at the Rewards Store. If you have won a seat in a live, brick-and-mortar poker tournament that begins during the exclusion period, you will still be able to play it. You will not receive any marketing emails or newsletters from us.
- 6-month self-exclusion. This is identical to the other time out periods, except that we will ask you to withdraw any funds from your Stars Account. In addition, you will not be automatically reinstated. If you want to return, you can contact Support any time after your self-exclusion period has passed.
- Self-exclusions longer than 6 months, and permanent self-exclusions. If you wish to self-exclude yourself longer than 6 months, or permanently self-exclude yourself, please contact Support.
- Customers who self-exclude themselves when they still have an open bet will have the bet settled as normal.
- Please also note that if you win any prizes resulting from any offer that may have started prior to your self-exclusion (i.e. automatic drawings to live events, or live activities), they may be forfeited.
If you wish to self-exclude from all online gambling activity, consider downloading gamban®, software that helps you by blocking access to all online gambling.
You may also wish to investigate GamBlock, a software application that limits a computer’s access to online gaming sites.
What you can do to help yourself
Identify and reduce the risks
If you choose to bet online, there are some general guidelines that can help make your experience safer, and reduce the risk of problems occurring:
- Bet for entertainment, and not as a way of making money.
- Bet with money that you can afford to lose. Never use money that you need for important things such as food, rent, bills, or tuition.
- Set deposit limits and ensure you never deposit more than you can afford to lose.
- Never chase losses. If you lose money, don't bet with higher stakes to try and recoup your losses.
- Don't bet when you are upset, tired, or depressed. It is difficult to make good decisions when you are feeling down.
- Balance your betting with other activities. Find other forms of entertainment so betting does not become too big a part of your life.
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There are risk factors that can contribute to the development of gambling issues and make it more difficult to stop gambling. Players can be more at risk if they:
- Have easy access to their preferred form of gambling
- Hold mistaken beliefs about the odds of winning (see “Common Myths about Compulsive Gambling” below)
- Do not take precautions to monitor gambling wins and losses
- Have an early big win (leading to false expectation of future wins)
- Have had a recent loss or change in their personal life, such as divorce, job loss, retirement, or death of a loved one
- Often feel bored or lonely, or have a history of risk-taking or impulsive behavior
- Have financial problems
- Have a history of mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety
- Have a parent who also has (or has had) problems with gambling or other compulsive disorders
- Have (or have had) problems with alcohol or other drugs, or overspending
The more factors that apply, the more likely a person is to develop a gambling problem.
If you are finding it hard to stop gambling, or if you’re already suffering from consequences related to your gambling behavior, it may be time to get help.
Setting Limits
We offer you the option to set different Responsible Gaming limits to help you play responsibly. You can set these limits by following these instructions, depending on how you are accessing our services:
Log in and go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’
Log in and select ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’
After logging in go to ‘Menu’ (Android) or ‘More’ (iOS), then ‘Settings & Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’
Set limits on your real money deposits
We believe that you should be allowed to manage your own budget for betting online. We allow you to restrict your own weekly deposit limits. Of course, those limits may be no higher than the ones we already have for your account.
Please Note: Your deposit limit does not apply on StarsDraft, where available.
Set deposit limits
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Restricting sports betting
Setting betting limits provides individual players with an opportunity to control their spending by limiting themselves from betting at various stakes.
You can limit your betting by using the Responsible Gaming menu located under ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Restrict Sports Stake Limit’ on desktop, and under ‘More’ > ‘Tools & Settings’ in the app. There is also the option to block yourself completely from sports betting within this menu, by choosing ‘Don’t Play’.
You can also login to your account through our website. From the ‘Account’ menu, you can access our Responsible Gaming tools.
Restricting withdrawal cancelation
You have the option to restrict yourself from cancelling your withdrawals once they have been requested. You can apply this by going to the main lobby in our desktop client and selecting ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Restrict Withdrawal Cancellation’.
If you activate this feature, you will disable your ability to cancel pending withdrawals on your account and we will not cancel your withdrawals at your request. This restriction is permanent and it will not be possible to restore your ability to cancel your withdrawals once you have activated it.
Be aware of common myths about compulsive gambling
We believe gambling should be done for fun and entertainment. But some players who engage in recreational gambling do not believe they could become addicted, and sometimes hold onto false beliefs or myths about problem gambling that can lead to denial and other problems. Some of the more common myths are listed below. Click ‘More’ to read on.
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Myth: A compulsive gambler gambles every day.
Fact: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. If a person’s gambling is causing psychological, financial, emotional, marital, legal or other consequences for themselves and the people around them, then they could be displaying signs of a gambling problem.
Myth: A compulsive gambler will bet on anything and gamble at any opportunity on any form of gambling.
Fact: Most problem gamblers have a favorite form of gambling that causes them problems and are not likely to be tempted by betting on other things. For example, a gambler who makes weekly trips to the race track may not be tempted by lottery tickets or slot machines. Some compulsive gamblers also engage in secondary forms of gambling, but these are not usually as problematic.
Myth: Gambling only becomes a problem when you lose every last penny. Compulsive gambling is just a financial problem.
Fact: How much money you win or lose does not determine if you have a gambling addiction. Compulsive gamblers may win big and then lose all their earnings the next day, or they may only bet a certain amount each time. Typically, those with gambling problems will incur enough debt that the financial consequences of their behavior begins impacting their lives, but that is not always the case.
Myth: It’s not possible to become addicted to something like gambling.
Fact: Certain activities, such as gambling, can be just as addictive as drinking or doing drugs. Gambling may produce a euphoria that encourages a compulsive gambler to keep repeating the behavior to achieve that effect. As with drugs and alcohol, a gambling addict may develop a tolerance for gambling and take bigger and bigger risks to achieve that euphoria. A compulsive gambler will give in to a craving for gambling by doing it more often, regardless of the negative consequences. As with any other addictions and compulsive behavior, pathological gamblers may also be in denial about their behavior, and may not believe they have a problem at all.
Myth: Only irresponsible people become addicted to gambling.
Fact: Many problem gamblers hold, or have held, responsible community positions. In addition, even people with a long history of responsible behavior are vulnerable to developing a gambling problem. It is common for people to believe that those suffering from addictions are weak-willed and irresponsible. But anybody can become addicted to gambling, no matter how responsible they are.
Myth: Compulsive gambling isn’t really a problem if the gambler can afford it.
Fact: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. If a person’s gambling is interfering with their ability to act in accordance with their values, then there is a problem. For example, too much time spent on gambling means less time to spend with family, friends and others. It can lead to relationship breakdown and loss of important friendships.
Myth: It’s easy to recognize a compulsive gambler.
Fact: Problem gambling has been called the hidden addiction. It is very easy to hide as it has few recognizable symptoms, unlike alcohol and drug use. Many problem gamblers themselves do not recognize they have a gambling problem. Problem gamblers often engage in self-denial.
Myth: If I keep gambling, my luck will change and I'll win back the money I've lost.
Fact: Each time you place a bet, the outcome is completely independent of the previous bet. This means that the odds are no more in your favour on the tenth bet than they were on the first bet. Risking more, or playing longer, will not improve your chances of winning.
Myth: I have a feeling that today is my lucky day. I just know I’m going to win.
Fact: Hoping, wishing, or even needing to win money has absolutely no influence on the outcome of a game of chance.
If any of these myths are realities for you or a loved one, it may be necessary to consider seeking treatment for a gambling addiction. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please contact one of the organizations that we recommend.
Need help, advice or counselling?
If you feel you might have a gambling problem, and seek further advice or counselling, you can visit these web sites:
