A word of warning

We at Poker Hideout take the problem of gambling addiction very seriously and its true we do love the odd flutter ourselves and our regular online poker games are a must, but we are always very conscious of those that can allow their gambling to get out of control. Please always remember online poker games and gambling are meant to be fun and exciting but they should never be the only thing in your life.

At time of writing there have been two very sad reports of severe gambling addiction that has resulted in court cases, the individuals concerned forgot the golden rules of online poker games and gambling and allowed their gambling interests to control them and not the other way around.

In the first case, 28 year old Christopher Proudfoot embezzled almost £1m from his employer to pay off debts accumulated from his online poker games. The second case is of ex-Carlisle City Mayor Jayne Prewitt who ran up debts of £60,000 in online poker rooms, the debt became such a pressure to her that she resorted to stealing £38,000 from her employer and then attempting suicide when it all got too much for her. Both individuals are now awaiting sentencing

Tell tale signs that you might have a problem

Do you find that online poker games and gambling are disrupting your life causing you to stay away from work, school, college? Are you losing friends and loved ones because of your gambling? Do you play online poker games and visit gambling sites to put some excitement in your life? Do you have an uncontrollable urge to carry on playing online poker games after suffering losses even when you have spent your entire budget? Do you ever feel so depressed that life feels like it’s not worth carrying on with because of your gambling? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you should seek advice as you may be developing a problem.

We cannot stress enough the importance of getting help if you believe that your gambling is getting out of control. All of the Poker sites in our directory have dedicated pages for problems associated with gambling and precautionary measures in place such as self-exclusion policies. However if you feel that you would rather contact an independent advisory body then organisations such as Gamblers Anonymous (UK) 24 hour hotline number: +442073843040 (answered by a recovered compulsive gambler) or GamCare offer invaluable help and advice. GamCare have a helpline manned from 8.00am till midnight 7 days a week where you will receive confidential advice and counselling, telephone on 0845 6000 133.