One thing there is absolutely no shortage of on the internet 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 when you combine this factor with the fact that it is very easy to feel detached from the truth of money spent online. Gradually accumulating a debt online does not feel the same as handing over hard earned cash from our wallet, so it is that much easier to lose track of how your web spending is mounting up.
Therefore, debt problems from internet gambling are on the increase. In this post I hope to clarify some of the legal issues around online gambling, together with providing some advice on dealing with the underlying problem and the debts that result 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 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.
However, there is an important point to make here, that is that this only applies while 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 clearly a legally enforceable debt exactly like it would be in virtually any other circumstance, as you have borrowed money from the credit card company, not the casino. It is now against the law in the US to use a credit card to pay for 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 issuer and your debt you incur can be pursued through legal action. If slot88 do use a credit card to cover online gambling this way, you should be aware that cash advances on bank cards are almost 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, 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 your debt is dealt with, chances are to develop 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 considering borrowing more money or paying anyone to cope with your debt for you. These courses of action will probably deepen your debt in the long term.
With a little advice, you can deal with your debts yourself, by contacting your creditors and agreeing terms for repayment you can afford. There is clearly more to it than that, but it is beyond the scope of the particular article. The process is easy and allows you to get back control of your finances.
