Play Safe: Set Time and Money Frames

Three rules before you start playing.

I’ve always used these three simple principles, and I encourage all students to try them. They might sound ordinary, but they’ve saved many lives.

• Stopping Condition: Before starting a BC game, write down on a piece of paper, “When I lose X amounts, I will close the screen immediately.” When you actually reach that point, just walk away. Don’t try to recoup your losses, because your emotions will only lead you astray.
• Fun Budget: This amount should be money you can truly “lose.” Like money for a movie ticket or beer with friends; if you lose it, it shouldn’t affect your rent or children’s tuition.
• Time Limit: Set an alarm for 30 minutes or an hour. When the time is up, stop immediately. Don’t say “just one more round,” because that’s when things usually spiral out of control.

Reset Yourself in 5 Minutes

If you start feeling palpitations, flushed face, or become irritated by unfavorable results on bc. games, those are danger signs. Follow these 5 steps to regain your composure:

• Step away from the screen: Put down your phone or close your laptop immediately.
• Take deep breaths: Breathe in and out slowly 10 times to allow your brain to receive more oxygen.
• Drink water or take a walk: Walk to the front of the house or get up and drink a glass of water to change your posture.
• Close tabs and notifications: Close the bcgame website and turn off all notifications that might distract you.
• Save your results and log out: Record your losses for the day and then log out of the system.

If you’ve followed these steps and still feel like you can’t stop, don’t be ashamed to tell a loved one or consult a professional. Asking for help is an act of courage.

Simple expense tracking chart

Try this for 7 days, and you’ll get an overview of your relationship with BC Games.

Recommendation: At the end of the week, review which emotions caused you to “run out of your limits” the most, and adjust accordingly.

The limits you should set.

If you find these tools on the bc.game settings page, feel free to use them:

• Deposit Limit: Set a daily/weekly deposit limit.
• Wager Limit: Set a total betting limit.
• Cool-off Period: Temporarily suspend account access (e.g., 24 hours or 7 days).
• Self-Exclusion: Permanently close your account if you feel you can no longer control it.

If these tools aren’t available on the website: Use external methods such as setting an alarm on your phone, using a website blocking app, or creating a separate bank account for entertainment funds, keeping them separate from your daily finances.

Signs that you should take a long break

Sometimes we have to accept the reality that we might be starting to get “addicted.” Try checking yourself on this checklist. If you have more than 3 of the following, you should take a long break:

• Start playing BC games instead of sleeping or going to work.
• Lie to people around you about not playing, or play secretly alone.
• Use money that should be used for important things for BC games.
• Get easily irritated when someone interrupts you while you’re playing.
• Constantly have thoughts of “get revenge” after losing.
• Start borrowing money to keep playing.
• Feel guilty or depressed after turning off the screen.
• Have problems with family or friends because of gaming.

In summary: If the situation worsens, I recommend taking a break immediately and contacting a psychological support agency or mental health hotline in your area.