Responsible Gaming
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
We strive to assist and protect players who are at risk of the potential negative effects of gambling.
Through a number of means, including self-exclusion tools, guidance on responsible gaming, risk identification and player verification we are helping customers keep in control of their gaming so they can enjoy playing.
We believe in educating our players to empower them through knowledge, which is why we have a number of helpful tools to ensure that playing time is always enjoyable.
What we can do to help you
What you can do to help yourself
What we can do to help you
Age verification
Underage gambling is a criminal offense and anyone who facilitates someone under the age of 21 to gamble has committed a criminal offense and shall be prohibited from Internet gaming.
Any underage player who has provided dishonest or inaccurate information regarding their true age may have all winnings forfeited and could face criminal prosecution.
- Every person signing up for a new account must check a box that indicates that they are at least 21 years of age. This notifies everybody that we don't accept players under 21.
- When a player creates an account with us, we collect their name, address, Social Security Number (SSN) and birth date to confirm that the player is at least 21 years old.
- We do not target underage players with our marketing and advertising. It is neither good business nor consistent with our personal and corporate values to attract underage players.
If you have children or teenagers in your household, take extra care to secure your computer and mobile devices.
- All Windows computers can be set up to have password control so that you must enter a password to get to the desktop, and mobile devices can be set up to require a passcode to unlock. In general, this is a good practice, but it’s even more important when there are children or teenagers in your household. Also, keep your username and password private.
- If you have children or teenagers in your household, use protection software that allows you to limit the websites to which they have access, prevent file sharing, and generally give you detailed control over how your children use the Internet. Here is a list of some of those programs:
- If you are aware of an underage person using our platform, let us know. Simply visit our Help Center and we will get right on it. Our first step is to investigate, and if warranted, freeze the player’s account and request identification from that player. We take these reports seriously.
- Be a responsible parent. In many ways, this is nothing more than keeping your eyes and ears open. If you hear your children talking about online gambling accounts, deposits, and withdrawals, start asking questions. If you see the software on your child's computer, uninstall it and ask more questions. A responsible parent is the best start to preventing underage gaming. You can find advice on how to talk to a young person about gambling here.
Self-exclusion
Internet Gaming Self-Exclusion (IGSE)
You can self-exclude yourself from all New Jersey Internet Gaming Operators. In order to do so, you must complete the Internet Gaming Self-Exclusion Sign Up Procedure. This is a mandatory requirement by the Division of Gaming Enforcement. Players will have the option of choosing a 1-year or 5-year exclusion period. Upon clicking either of these options within the Self-Exclusion feature, you will be re-directed to the Internet Gaming Self-Exclusion Form which must be completed in full.
Upon full completion, you will be presented with the option to Print your form and Submit it. After clicking Submit, a final confirmation with your account password will complete the process.
Your submission will then be sent to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement who will process it at the earliest convenience.
We encourage players who plan to self-exclude themselves to withdraw the remaining funds in their account via their preferred payment method before completing the process outlined above.
Important: By entering into a 1-year or 5-year exclusion, you are purposely choosing to exclude yourself from ALL New Jersey Internet Gaming Operators, not just us. You will not be permitted to access any Internet Gaming Provider or use their services until after your specific exclusion ends and you have requested re-instatement from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
You may also request to begin or end an exclusion by visiting any premises of the New Jersey Racing Commission, including racetracks, during business hours. Any Self-Exclusion is irreversible and cannot be ended early.
Self-exclusion and your Stars Account
We provide you with the ability to exclude yourself from playing for various periods of time. To do this, go to the main lobby of the desktop software, select ‘More’ > ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Exclude me from playing’ i. On mobile, go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming Settings’. On the website, login then go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’.
Please note that all self-exclusions and time outs are irreversible for the duration of the specified time. In addition, all self-exclusion periods are inclusive of all games. Your self-exclusion will apply to your Stars Account, and to any product that requires your username to play, and covers both real money and play money activity.
If you want to block yourself from a particular game, go to the main lobby of the desktop software, select ‘More’ > ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Restrict Table Limit’ and set your limit to ‘Don’t play’ i.
- We offer 3-day, 7-day, 30-day, 60-day, 120-day and 180-day time out periods. You will not be able to play any games that we offer for real money or play money on our software. Once you request a time out or a self-exclusion period, you will be asked to close all tables at which you're playing. You will be automatically unregistered from any online tournament that begins during the time out and self-exclusion period, with your buy-in refunded per our normal policy. If you are still playing when the self-exclusion period begins, you will not be forced to close the software, but will receive a pop-up asking you to do so – the exclusion period will begin once the software is closed. You will be able to login, access the Cashier and shop at the Rewards Store, but you will not be able to deposit onto or play with your Stars Account. If you have won a seat in a live, brick-and-mortar tournament that begins during the exclusion period, you will still be able to play it.
- Furthermore, you will not receive any marketing emails or newsletters from us.
- Also, you will not be permitted to change your personal details registered with your account while the self-exclusion is in effect.
- 180-day time out. This is identical to the other time out periods, except that we will ask you to withdraw any real money funds from your Stars Account. In addition, you will not be automatically reinstated. If you want to return to playing with us, you can visit our Help Center to find out how. You can only return to playing with us once your self-exclusion period has passed.
- Self-exclusions longer than 6 months, and permanent self-exclusions. If you wish to self-exclude yourself longer than 6 months, or permanently self-exclude yourself, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to Support. We also recommend you to follow the procedure listed above explaining how to register in the Internet Gaming Self-Exclusion program.
- Self-exclusion during tournaments:
- Players who self-exclude themselves during a tournament will still be able to complete any tournament already in progress in which they are playing.
- Multi-Day Tournaments: Players who request to be self-excluded from playing during a ‘qualifying for Day 2’ of a ‘Multi-Day Tournament’ will still be able to play in that tournament on any subsequent day of that tournament, even after their period of self-exclusion begins. Players who choose not to play on subsequent days will receive no compensation.
- Phased Tournaments: Players who request to be self-excluded from playing during a phased tournament will not be able to complete the next phase of the tournament. Make sure you can play the tournament in its entirety before entering the first phase.
- Please also note that if you win any prizes resulting from any offer that may have started prior to your time-out or self-exclusion period (i.e. automatic drawings to live events, or live activities), they may be forfeited.
- If any available Bonus Spin or Bonus expires within the self-exclusion period, it can no longer be used. All Bonus Spins and Bonuses have an expiration date. You can check this by going to ‘My Rewards’ > ‘Bonus Spins’ or ‘Bonuses’.
If you would like to close your account, please contact Support with the request.
If you wish to self-exclude from all online gambling activity, consider downloading gamban®, software that helps you by blocking access to all online gambling.
You may also wish to investigate GamBlock, a software application that limits a computer’s access to online gaming sites.
Opt in/out of advertising emails
You have the opportunity to elect to, or not to receive advertising communications from us by email or, if applicable, text message regarding Poker or Casino products/promotions.
To update your preferences, log in to your account and follow these steps:
- Website
Select the account icon > Responsible Gaming > Communication Preferences
- Desktop Client
Select the “More” option > Tools > Responsible Gaming > Communication Preferences
- Mobile App
Account > Responsible Gaming Settings > Communication Preferences
It’s important to note that you will be automatically opted out of all marketing communication if you elect to self-exclude your account.
What you can do to help yourself
Identify and reduce the risks
If you choose to play online, there are some general guidelines that can help make your playing experience safer, and reduce the risk of problems occurring:
- Play for entertainment, and not as a way of making money.
- Play with money that you can afford to lose. Never use money that you need for important things such as food, rent, bills, or tuition.
- Set deposit limits and ensure you never deposit more than you can afford to lose (see below for instructions).
- Never chase losses. If you lose money, don't play higher stakes to try and recoup your losses.
- Don't play when you are upset, tired, or depressed. It is difficult to make good decisions when you are feeling down.
- Balance online gaming with other activities. Find other forms of entertainment so playing online does not become too big a part of your life.
If you believe that playing online might be a hindrance to your life rather than a form of entertainment, we want to help you. First, please review the following questions:
1. Have you ever taken time from your major daily obligations because of playing?
2. Has playing online caused you to neglect your own welfare or that of your family?
3. Have you ever sold anything or borrowed money to finance your playing?
4. Have you often played until your last dollar was gone?
5. Have you ever played longer than you had planned?
6. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your playing?
If you answered “Yes” to several of these questions, we encourage you to visit Gamblers Anonymous.
You can take the test in its entirety at one of the following websites:
www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/self-assessment-tool/
www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/screening-tools/
There are risk factors that can contribute to the development of gambling issues and make it more difficult to stop gambling.
Players can be more at risk if they:
- Have easy access to their preferred form of gambling
- Hold mistaken beliefs about the odds of winning (see “Common Myths about Compulsive Gambling” below)
- Do not take precautions to monitor gambling wins and losses
- Have an early big win (leading to false expectation of future wins)
- Have had a recent loss or change in their personal life, such as divorce, job loss, retirement, or death of a loved one
- Often feel bored or lonely, or have a history of risk-taking or impulsive behavior
- Have financial problems
- Have a history of mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety
- Have a parent who also has (or has had) problems with gambling or other compulsive disorders
- Have (or have had) problems with alcohol or other drugs, gambling, or overspending
The more factors that apply, the more likely a person is to develop a gambling problem.
If you are finding it hard to stop gambling, or if you’re already suffering from consequences related to your gambling behavior, it may be time to get help.
Setting Limits
We are proud to offer several features that all New Jersey players can avail themselves of to help better manage their time, funds, and general gambling experience. You can set the following limits to your account:
- Self-Imposed Deposit Limits
- Self-Imposed Playing Time Limits
- Self-Imposed Spend Limits
- Self-Imposed Tournament and Table Buy-in Limits
- Self-Imposed Casino Limits
You can set these limits by following these instructions, depending on how you are accessing our services:
- Website
Log in and go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’
- Desktop Client
Log in and select ‘More’ > ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ i
- Mobile App
After logging in go to ‘Account’ > ‘Responsible Gaming Settings’
Set limits on your real money deposits and purchases
We believe that you should be allowed to manage your own budget for playing online poker. We allow you to restrict your own daily, weekly, and monthly real money deposit limits. Of course, those limits may be no higher than the ones we already have for your account. Also, please note that the daily deposit limit takes into consideration the transactions made during the last 24 hours, the weekly during the last 7 days and the monthly during the last 30 days.
You can set these limits by following the above instructions and selecting ‘Restrict Deposit Limit’.
If you set a daily or weekly deposit limit, you will not be permitted to increase or remove it during the next 7 days and the monthly limit for 30 days. When you request to increase or remove a deposit limit, it will remain pending for 24 hours. After that period of time, you will be asked to confirm the request on a pop-up that will be displayed when you login to your account. All requests to decrease a deposit limit will be approved immediately.
Restricting cash game table limits, poker tournament limits, casino limits, spend limits and playing time limits
Setting table limits and poker tournament limits provides individual players with an opportunity to control their spending by limiting themselves from playing certain table limit stakes, as well as poker tournament buy-in limits.
You can set these limits by following the instructions mentioned above and later selecting ‘Restrict Table Limit’ or ‘Restrict Tournament Limit’ on the website and in the desktop client. There is also the option to block yourself completely from playing any of these games within this menu, by choosing ‘Don’t Play’.
The casino limits provide individual players with an opportunity to control their spending by setting a limit on the maximum bet per action or spin. You can set this limit by selecting ‘Restrict Casino Limit’ while following the above instructions in the Stars software or in our mobile app by selecting ‘Set your Casino Limits’. There is also the option to block yourself completely from casino games within this menu, by choosing ‘Don’t Play’.
You can also block yourself from individual casino games using the same menu located in 'Tools'.
If you want to set any of these limits permanently or for a designated time, please visit our Help Center to find out ways to contact us with your request.
Restrict your spend limit
Managing your bankroll is one of the most import aspects of online gaming. Using our Spend Limits feature, you can choose how much of your balance and funds you use on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The limits you select are cumulative, so all games, tournaments, or tables you join throughout the day will count towards your limit.
To choose this option, please select ‘Restrict Spend Limit’ in the software, mobile app or on the website.
If you increase or remove this limit, your daily limit will be processed at the end of the day, the weekly one at the of the week and the monthly limit at the end of the month.
If you request to increase or remove a table, tournament or spend limit, you will be asked to confirm the change 24 hours later. A pop-up will be displayed when you login to your account asking you to reaffirm the request. If you decrease any of these limits, the request will be approved immediately.
Restrict your play time
You can also limit the time spent per day playing, from 1 hour to 8 hours. To choose this option, follow the above instructions and later select ‘Restrict Playing Time’ in the desktop software, mobile app or on the website. Once exhausted, you will no longer be able to participate in gaming until the time limit is reset at midnight ET. Any request to lower your limit will take immediate effect, while requests to increase or remove your limit will not take effect until at least 24 hours after you have made your request.
Restricting withdrawal cancelation
You have the option to restrict yourself from cancelling your withdrawals once they have been requested. You can apply this by going to the main lobby in our desktop client and selecting ‘More’ > ‘Tools’ > ‘Responsible Gaming’ > ‘Restrict Withdrawal Cancellation’ i.
If you activate this feature, you will disable your ability to cancel pending withdrawals on your account and we will not cancel your withdrawals at your request. This restriction is permanent and it will not be possible to restore your ability to cancel your withdrawals once you have activated it.
At any time, players can request a report which lists all the Self-Imposed Limits changes that have taken place on their account. To do this, simply choose ‘Responsible Gaming History Audit’ within the ‘Responsible Gaming’ option found in the ‘Tools’ menu of our desktop software and in the mobile app, under ‘Account’ and later ‘Responsible Gaming Settings’. On the website you need to select ‘Account’, ‘Responsible Gaming’ and later ‘Responsible Gaming History Audit’.
Be aware of common myths about compulsive gambling
We believe players should play for fun and entertainment. But some players who engage in recreational gambling do not believe they could become addicted, and sometimes hold onto false beliefs or myths about problem gambling that can lead to denial and other problems. Some of the more common myths are listed below. Click 'More' to read on.
Myth: A compulsive gambler gambles every day.
Fact: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. If a person’s gambling is causing psychological, financial, emotional, marital, legal or other consequences for themselves and the people around them, then they could be displaying signs of a gambling problem.
Myth: A compulsive gambler will bet on anything and gamble at any opportunity on any form of gambling.
Fact: Most problem gamblers have a favorite form of gambling that causes them problems and are not likely to be tempted by betting on other things. For example, a gambler who makes weekly trips to the race track may not be tempted by lottery tickets or slot machines. Some compulsive gamblers also engage in secondary forms of gambling, but these are not usually as problematic.
Myth: Gambling only becomes a problem when you lose every last penny. Compulsive gambling is just a financial problem.
Fact: How much money you win or lose does not determine if you have a gambling addiction. Compulsive gamblers may win big and then lose all their earnings the next day, or they may only bet a certain amount each time. Typically, those with gambling problems will incur enough debt that the financial consequences of their behavior begins impacting their lives, but that is not always the case.
Myth: It’s not possible to become addicted to something like gambling.
Fact: Certain activities, such as gambling, can be just as addictive as drinking or doing drugs. Gambling may produce a euphoria that encourages a compulsive gambler to keep repeating the behavior to achieve that effect. As with drugs and alcohol, a gambling addict may develop a tolerance for gambling and take bigger and bigger risks to achieve that euphoria. A compulsive gambler will give in to a craving for gambling by doing it more often, regardless of the negative consequences. As with any other addictions and compulsive behavior, pathological gamblers may also be in denial about their behavior, and may not believe they have a problem at all.
Myth: Only irresponsible people become addicted to gambling.
Fact: Many problem gamblers hold, or have held, responsible community positions. In addition, even people with a long history of responsible behavior are vulnerable to developing a gambling problem. It is common for people to believe that those suffering from addictions are weak-willed and irresponsible. But anybody can become addicted to gambling, no matter how responsible they are.
Myth: Compulsive gambling isn’t really a problem if the gambler can afford it.
Fact: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. If a person’s gambling is interfering with their ability to act in accordance with their values, then there is a problem. For example, too much time spent on gambling means less time to spend with family, friends and others. It can lead to relationship breakdown and loss of important friendships.
Myth: It’s easy to recognize a compulsive gambler.
Fact: Problem gambling has been called the hidden addiction. It is very easy to hide as it has few recognizable symptoms, unlike alcohol and drug use. Many problem gamblers themselves do not recognize they have a gambling problem. Problem gamblers often engage in self-denial.
Myth: If I keep gambling, my luck will change and I'll win back the money I've lost.
Fact: Each time you place a bet, the outcome is completely independent of the previous bet. This means that the odds are no more in your favour on the tenth bet than they were on the first bet. Risking more, or playing longer, will not improve your chances of winning.
Myth: I have a feeling that today is my lucky day. I just know I’m going to win.
Fact: Hoping, wishing, or even needing to win money has absolutely no influence on the outcome of a game of chance.
If any of these myths are realities for you or a loved one, it may be necessary to consider seeking treatment for a gambling addiction. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-Gambler.
Need help, advice or counselling?
If you feel you might have a gambling problem, and seek further advice or counselling, you can visit these web sites:
i if you don’t see the “Tool” menu, please, check under “More”