Play Responsibly
River is play money
Chips in River have no cash value. There is nothing to buy and nothing to cash out. You play for the fun of the game. Even so, any game can take more of your time or attention than you meant to give it. A few habits help keep River enjoyable.
Keep it a game
- Set a time before you sit down, and take breaks. Stand up, stretch and look away from the screen between sessions.
- Play when you feel good, not to escape stress, boredom or a low mood.
- Let losses go. Bad beats are part of poker. Chips in River cost nothing, so there is never a reason to chase them.
- Keep perspective. Beating River’s bots or your friends doesn’t mean you would win at real-money poker. Real-money gambling has real costs.
- Look after each other. Friendly rooms are about the company. If someone at your table seems to be struggling, a kind word goes a long way.
Tools in River
- Sit out or leave a table whenever you like. Your chips go back to your balance.
- Turn off Game invites, Friend requests or Free chips ready under Settings → Notifications, and limit who can invite you to rooms with Who can invite me under Settings → Privacy.
- Hide yourself from the global leaderboard with Show me on global ranks in Settings.
- Take a clean break at any time with Settings → Delete account.
When it stops being fun
It may be time to step back if you notice that you:
- often play for longer than you planned, or find it hard to stop;
- feel restless or irritable when you’re not playing;
- hide how much you play, or let it crowd out sleep, work, study or people you care about;
- feel pulled toward real-money gambling to chase a win or to win back losses, or spend money you can’t afford.
If any of this sounds familiar, with River or with real-money gambling, talking to someone can help. The organizations below offer free, confidential support.
Where to find support
- United States: National Council on Problem Gambling, ncpgambling.org
- United Kingdom: GamCare, gamcare.org.uk
- Australia: Gambling Help Online, gamblinghelponline.org.au
- Peer support: Gamblers Anonymous, gamblersanonymous.org
Elsewhere, your doctor or local health service can point you to support near you. Many real-money gambling sites, and some countries, also offer deposit limits and self-exclusion schemes. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency number now.
Questions or concerns about River? Write to us at support@gitswift.com.