By Caleb Rensai
Ah, Sunday — the day for coffee, quiet thoughts, and yes, some honest reflection about gambling. Today’s topic?
Making it harder to fuel the habit when it starts running faster than you intended.
💳 Step 1: Make Funding Inconvenient — Without Waving Red Flags
A lot of people think, “I’ll just call my bank and tell them I want to block gambling.”
Sounds easy, right?
But here’s a little-known fact: You might not want to tell your bank you’re using your card for gambling.
Some banks (especially if you have personal lines of credit, overdraft protection, or certain credit card policies) could flag you as “higher risk” and reduce your limit, freeze, or even cancel the card outright — not because they are being mean, but because of internal risk protocols.
So what can you do instead?
✔️ Option 1:
Quietly request a spending limit reduction on your credit or debit card.
Say you want tighter control on discretionary spending or online purchases — no need to say the “G” word.
✔️ Option 2:
Ask about merchant category code (MCC) blocking if available.
Some banks let you block entire categories of transactions without needing to specify that it’s for gambling. It’s like child-proofing your own wallet.
✔️ Option 3:
Use a separate non-gambling account for daily living expenses. Keep gambling funds and everyday money in different banks entirely. That way, when the urge hits at midnight, your grocery money is safe and sound — unreachable from the slot reels.
🎯 Step 2: Let’s Reframe What Gambling Is
Gambling is NOT a hobby.
It’s not like gardening, baking, or building IKEA furniture (although all three occasionally cause shouting).
Those things add value to your life — they create, they nurture, they reward you in ways beyond money.
Gambling is entertainment.
Plain and simple.
It’s like watching a good movie — fun, engaging, but meant to end when the credits roll.
When gambling crosses into “habit” territory, that’s when the fun starts turning into something else:
Stressful, expensive, and lonely.
No one finishes a movie and says, “Let’s watch it 37 more times tonight” — but gambling can trick you into doing exactly that.
🟣 Step 3: Slow It Down
If you can’t stop right away, at least make it slower:
- Use deposit limits on your gambling site
- Set session time limits
- Use self-exclusion if necessary
- Even just write down what you spent each time — it’ll surprise you how much clarity comes from seeing it on paper
đź’¬ The Real Reflection
No one — no one — knows you’re struggling unless you tell them.
Gambling doesn’t leave bruises. It doesn’t show up like other issues. It’s a quiet battle. But it’s a battle you can win.
Control isn’t about never spinning again — it’s about making sure the reels stay part of your entertainment lineup, not the main feature.
If you feel like gambling is running the show right now, make today the day you step back behind the curtain and call the shots again.
Mindful Spins. Happy Wins.
— Caleb Rensai