One thing there is no shortage of on the net is opportunities to gamble. We have been spoilt for choice, whether your fancy is for betting on sports, playing virtual cards or bingo. Among the items that makes internet gambling so potentially dangerous is that it is easily available for 24 hours a day.
The real danger comes once you combine this factor with the fact that it is so easy to feel detached from the truth of money spent online. Gradually racking up a debt online does 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 some 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 discuss debt from online gambling it is important to be clear about the nature of your debt, because who the money is owed to does change lives. People are often unsure about the legality of debts from online gambling. In the united kingdom it is possible to gamble legally on credit and incur a debt, but this debt isn’t then enforceable through regulations.
However, there is a significant point to make here, which is that this only applies when you are using credit extended by the company offering the gambling (casino, bookie, etc). If you use a credit card company to pay for internet gambling, that is a legally enforceable debt the same as it would be in any other circumstance, because you have borrowed money from the credit card company, not the casino. It really is now against the law in america to use a charge card to cover online gambling.
You will find that many credit 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 your debt you incur can be pursued through legal action. If you do use a credit card to cover online gambling this way, you should be aware that cash advances on credit cards are nearly always charged at a much higher rate of interest than normal credit for purchases.
How To Deal With Debts Caused By Gambling
In working with gambling debts, there are two separate issues to tackle. One may be the debt itself, and the other may be the habit of gambling that led to the debt. Even if the debt is dealt with, chances are to build up again if the primary cause is not tackled too. Why don’t we first consider the problem of paying off the debt.
The principles for tackling debt are often the same, irrespective of the causes of the debt. To permanently deal with debt you should not be turning over borrowing more income or paying anyone to cope with your debt for you. These courses of action are likely to deepen your debt in the long run.
With a little advice, it is possible to deal with your debts yourself, by contacting your creditors and agreeing terms for repayment that you can afford. There’s clearly more to it than that, but it is beyond the scope of the particular article. The process is easy and allows you to take back control of your finances.