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 things that makes internet gambling so potentially dangerous is that it’s 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’s that much easier to reduce track of how your online spending is mounting up.
For these reasons, debt problems from internet gambling are on the increase. On this page I hope to clarify a few of the legal issues around online gambling, and providing some advice on coping 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 important to be clear concerning the nature of your debt, because who the amount of money is owed to does change lives. People are often unsure concerning the legality of debts from online gambling. In the UK it is possible to 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 when you are using credit extended by the business 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, 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 cover online gambling.
You will find that lots of credit cards will regard a payment to an internet gambling website as a cash advance. That is then clearly borrowing money from the card company and the debt you incur can be pursued through legal action. If you do use a credit card to pay for online gambling this way, you should be aware that cash advances on bank cards are nearly always charged at a much higher rate of interest than normal credit for purchases.
redwin69 HOW TO APPROACH Debts Caused By Gambling
In dealing with gambling debts, there are two separate issues to tackle. One is the debt itself, and the other may be the habit of gambling that led to the debt. Even if your debt is dealt with, chances are to develop again if the root cause is not tackled too. Why don’t we first consider the issue of paying off the debt.
The principles for tackling debt are often the same, irrespective of the sources of the debt. To permanently deal with debt you should not be considering borrowing more income or paying anyone to deal with your debt for you personally. These courses of action are likely to deepen your debt in the long run.
With a little advice, you can deal with your financial situation yourself, by contacting your creditors and agreeing terms for repayment you can afford. There’s clearly more to it than that, but it is beyond the scope of the particular article. The process is straightforward and allows you to get back control of your finances.