Lesson
What is a Barrier and How Do They Work?
Learn how to implement different types of barriers to keep you gamble free for as long as you want.
Barriers
One of the most effective ways to limit further gambling harm is to impose barriers between ourselves and our ability to gamble. A barrier in this case refers to any preventive measure or obstacle put in place to reduce or block access to gambling activities.
They come in many shapes and sizes, and the key is figuring out which of them work for you! This can be easier said than done.
In this lesson, we’ll introduce you to some of the most effective barriers, and help you implement them yourself.
Types of Barriers
There are 3 types of barriers we’re going to look at today:
Accessibility Barriers - These are barriers that restrict physical access to gambling venues or online gambling platforms.
Financial Barriers - These are barriers that restrict the key ingredient to gambling, money.
Social Barriers - These are the trusted family members, friends, or professionals that can act as a barrier against gambling.
One thing to note is that no barrier is perfect, and almost all of them can be bypassed in one way or another. However, that is not the point. The point is that these barriers increase the friction between our impulses/urges to gamble, and our actual gambling.
Levels of Barriers
Not all barriers are made equally. They vary in intensity, depending on how much friction they put between us and our ability to gamble.
Low Intensity
We put our credit card in a cup of water and stick it in the freezer until it’s frozen solid. Next time we want to use it, we’ll have to wait for it to thaw, giving us time to address our urge to gamble. (sounds silly, but this actually helps!)
High Intensity
Give our credit cards, ATM cards, checkbooks, extra cash, and control of our financial accounts to a trusted party for the next 90 days so we have no access to our own funds. Without money, we cannot gamble. (requires a lot more trust, but definitely works.)
User Spotlight - Meet Joe
Tap here to read about Joe's experience with implementing barriers
Barriers were one of the most important parts of my recovery. Of course, there's the obvious ones like self-exclusion which are great. Within the apps, you can always do a cool off, set deposit limits, etc. Those barriers weren't great for me, because I'd just download a new app. So if you're going to use those, make sure you do it for each app available in your state.
I knew social barriers would be hardest to avoid. However, I did let my best friends know about my issue so that they wouldn't ask me about gambling or bring it up, but it'd be difficult to do that with every single person.
The barrier that I found most beneficial was giving up control of my finances. It was also the most embarrassing because I'm an adult and I couldn't have a credit or debit card. It was the best accountability piece because there was no way for me to deposit without family knowing. I'd also suggest purchasing something like Life Lock where your credit is locked so that you're not able to pull out any loans.
Find Joe @winning.without.wagers on IG and winning_without_wagers on TikTok
Implementing Barriers
We’re going to guide you through the process of implementing a barrier. If you already have barriers in place, congratulations! That’s a great first step. We have lots of recommendations, so keep an eye out for something new that you may not have thought of.
You’ll be able to add more barriers in the future, but for today, let’s focus on the barrier that you feel will help you the most at the moment.
Closing Thought
You’ve just added an item to your Action Plan! This is the list of the practical steps you’ll be taking to achieve your goals. You’ll continue to add to your Action Plan over time. There are suggested actions, with step-by-step instructions such as the barrier you just implemented. You can also create and track your own action items.
Now go check out your Action Plan to complete setting up the barrier you’ve selected. Remember that from your Action Plan you can set up more barriers. It’s most effective to have several barriers in place to keep you on the right track.