One thing there is no shortage of on the net is opportunities to gamble. We are spoilt for choice, whether your fancy is for betting on sports, playing virtual cards or bingo. One of the items that makes internet gambling so potentially dangerous is that it is easily available every day and night a day.
The real danger comes once you combine this factor with the fact that it is so easy to feel detached from the reality of money spent online. Gradually accumulating a debt online does not feel the identical to handing over hard earned cash from our wallet, so it is that much easier to lose track of how your online spending is mounting up.
For these reasons, debt problems from internet gambling are on the increase. In the following paragraphs I hope to clarify a few of the legal issues around online gambling, as well as providing some advice on dealing with the underlying problem and the debts that result from it.
LEGALITIES Around Gambling Debts
When we talk about debt from online gambling it is very important be clear about the nature of the debt, because who the amount of money is owed to does make a difference. People are often unsure concerning the legality of debts from online gambling. In the UK you can gamble legally on credit and incur a debt, but this debt isn’t then enforceable through the law.
DNABET However, there is a significant point to make here, which is that this only applies while you are using credit extended by the company offering the gambling (casino, bookie, etc). If you are using a credit card company to cover internet gambling, that is a legally enforceable debt exactly like it would be in virtually any other circumstance, because you have borrowed money from the charge card company, not the casino. It is now against the law in america to use a credit card to pay for online gambling.
You will find that many bank cards will regard a payment to an internet gambling website as a cash advance. That is then clearly borrowing money from the card issuer and the debt you incur could be pursued through legal action. Should you choose use a credit card to pay for online gambling this way, you should be aware that cash advances on credit cards are almost always charged at a higher interest than normal credit for purchases.
HOW TO APPROACH Debts Caused By Gambling
In dealing with gambling debts, you can find two separate issues to tackle. One may be the debt itself, and another may be the habit of gambling that resulted in the debt. Even if the debt is dealt with, it is likely to build up again if the primary cause is not tackled too. Let us first consider the problem of paying off the debt.
The principles for tackling debt are nearly always the same, irrespective of the causes of the debt. To permanently deal with debt you should not be turning over borrowing additional money or paying anyone to cope with your debt for you. These courses of action will probably deepen your debt in the end.
With a little advice, you can deal with your debts yourself, by contacting creditors and agreeing terms for repayment you can afford. There’s clearly more to it than that, nonetheless it is beyond the scope of this particular article. The process is straightforward and allows you to get back control of your finances.