Responsible Gaming
We are committed to responsible gaming, and are dedicated to an enjoyable and positive gaming experience
missionstatement
PokerStars strives 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 believe in educating our players to empower them through knowledge. Click here for an interactive presentation on Responsible Gaming and Problem Gambling
what can wedo to help
Age verification
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 18 years of age. This notifies everybody that we do not accept players under 18.
- When a player creates an account with us, we collect their name, address, and birth date to confirm that the player is at least 18 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.
self-exclusion
If you believe that playing games might be a hindrance to your life rather than a form of entertainment, we want to help you. First, please review the following questions:
- Did you ever lose time from work or school due to playing?
- Has playing caused you to neglect your own welfare or that of your family?
- Have you ever sold anything or borrowed money to finance your playing?
- Have you often played until your last cash was gone?
- Have you ever played longer than you had planned?
- 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:
what you can doto 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.
- Never chase losses. If you lose money, do not play higher stakes to try and recoup your losses.
- Do not play when you are upset, tired, or depressed. It is difficult to make good decisions when you are feeling down.
- Balance your playing with other activities. Find other forms of entertainment so playing does not become too big a part of your life.
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 towards the bottom of our Responsible Gaming page.
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:
- GamCare (UK)
- Gamble Aware (Ireland)
- Adictel (France)
- GamblingTherapy (World Wide)
- JugarBIEN.es (Spain)
- Gambling Help On Line (Australia)
- Responsible Gaming Council (Canada)
- Center for Ludomani (Denmark)
- Logout (Slovenia)
- Center for Addiction Treatment Nova Gorica (Slovenia)
- Stödlinjen (Sweden)
- Peluuri (Finland)