Responsible gaming

Where we stand

Azurine Stays recommends a hotel, not a casino. You can enjoy everything we describe at Bellagio without placing a single bet. If you do choose to gamble, treat it as paid entertainment with a fixed price, not a way to make money.

Habits that help

• Check the minimum age that applies at your destination before going near a table; it differs between jurisdictions, and floor staff routinely want to see identification.
• Fix a spending ceiling before the evening begins and leave cards and extra cash in the room safe.
• Put a phone alarm on for the moment you intend to stop, and walk outside for fresh air every so often.
• Treat money already gone as the price of the evening; chasing it, or borrowing to continue, only deepens the hole.
• Skip play altogether on nights when you feel exhausted, low or a few drinks in.

Signs to take seriously

Spending more than planned, lying about how much you play, feeling restless when you stop, or neglecting people and responsibilities are worth treating as early warnings. Many venues offer voluntary self-exclusion; staff can explain how to arrange it.

Free, confidential help

• Gambling Therapy (gamblingtherapy.org) gives free online advice and live text chat in several languages to anyone affected by gambling.
• Gamblers Anonymous (gamblersanonymous.org) organises peer-support meetings in a long list of countries.
• Gam-Anon (gam-anon.org) is there for the partners, parents and friends who live alongside someone else's gambling.
• A local helpline, in most countries, costs nothing to call and keeps conversations private; a GP or community health centre will know the number that serves your area.