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 cards or bingo. Among the things that makes internet gambling so potentially dangerous is that it’s easily available for 24 hours a day.
The real danger comes once you combine this factor with the fact 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 hard earned cash from our wallet, so it is 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. In this posting I hope to clarify some of the legalities around online gambling, and providing some advice on dealing with the underlying problem and the debts that derive from it.
Legal Issues 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 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 the law.
However, there is an important point to make here, which is that this only applies while you are using credit extended by the business offering the gambling (casino, bookie, etc). If you use 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 credit card company, not the casino. It really 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 advance loan. This is then clearly borrowing money from the card company and your debt you incur could 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 bank cards are nearly always charged at a higher rate of interest than normal credit for purchases.
HOW TO APPROACH Debts Caused By Gambling
In dealing with gambling debts, there are two separate issues to tackle. One may be the debt itself, and another is the habit of gambling that resulted in the debt. Even if the debt is dealt with, it is likely to develop 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 sources of the debt. To permanently deal with debt you should not be considering borrowing additional money or paying anyone to deal with your debt for you personally. These courses of action are likely to deepen your debt over time.
With a little advice, it is possible to deal with your debts yourself, by contacting creditors and agreeing terms for repayment that you could afford. There is clearly more to it than that, nonetheless it is beyond the scope of this particular article . The process is easy and allows you to take back control of your finances.