One thing there is absolutely 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 card games or bingo. One of the items that makes internet gambling so potentially dangerous is that it is easily available for 24 hours a day.
The real danger comes when you combine this factor with the truth that it is very easy to feel detached from the reality of money spent online. Gradually accumulating a debt online will not feel the same as handing over money from our wallet, so it is that much easier to lose track of how your web 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, in addition to 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 you should be clear about the nature of your debt, because who the money is owed to does change lives. People are often unsure concerning the legality of debts from online gambling. In RGO 303 can gamble legally on credit and incur a debt, but this debt isn’t then enforceable through the law.
However, there is a significant point to make here, that is that this only applies if 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 any other circumstance, as you have borrowed money from the charge card company, not the casino. It really is now against the law in the US to use a charge card to cover online gambling.
You will find that many bank cards will regard a payment to an internet gambling website as a cash advance. This is then clearly borrowing money from the card issuer and the debt you incur could be pursued through legal action. If you do use a credit card to cover online gambling this way, you ought to know that cash advances on bank 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 is the debt itself, and another is the habit of gambling that led to the debt. Even if your debt is dealt with, chances are 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 often the same, irrespective of the sources of the debt. To permanently cope with debt you should not be considering borrowing more money or paying anyone to cope with your debt for you personally. These courses of action are likely to deepen your debt in the long term.
With a little advice, it is possible to deal with your debts yourself, by contacting creditors and agreeing terms for repayment that one could afford. There is clearly more to it than that, nonetheless it is beyond the scope of this particular article. The process is straightforward and allows you to take back control of your finances.