Play kindly, play in measure

Our position

Mintthicket is a social parlour. There is no real-money wagering, no deposits and no withdrawals. Even so, casino-style games can be over-stimulating for some people. We treat that seriously. The following principles guide how we design and present the experience, and they're the same standards we ask of ourselves.

Healthy habits in the parlour

• Set a session length. Decide how long you intend to play before you start, and stop when that time is up — even if you're "on a streak". Streaks are random.
• Take regular breaks. Step away from the screen every 20–30 minutes. The parlour will still be here later.
• Keep play tied to mood. Don't play when you're tired, stressed, intoxicated or upset. Decisions made in those states rarely feel good afterwards.
• Remember the coins aren't real. Virtual wins don't translate to skill or luck elsewhere. They are not predictive of outcomes in any real-money venue.
• Notice when it stops being fun. If a session starts to feel compulsive, anxious or frustrating, close the tab. Come back another day, or don't.
• Talk about it. If you feel uneasy about your own play habits, tell someone you trust. Naming the worry is the first step.

Warning signs to watch for

Whether play is social or real-money, these signs suggest gambling may be becoming a problem:

• Playing for longer than intended, or returning more often than you planned.
• Thinking about play during work, study or time with family.
• Feeling restless, irritable or low when you can't play.
• Lying about how much time you spend playing.
• Using play to escape feelings rather than to enjoy them.
• Chasing losses — even imagined ones — with bigger or faster sessions.

None of these on their own is a diagnosis. Together, they're a signal worth taking seriously.

Support in Norway — free and confidential

• Hjelpelinjen for spilleavhengige — National helpline: 800 800 40. Free, confidential, 24/7.
• Lotteritilsynet — The Norwegian Gambling Authority. Information on safer gambling and player rights.
• Spillavhengighet Norge — Peer support and counselling for affected players and families.
• Helsenorge — Speak with your fastlege (GP) about referral to behavioural-health services covered by the public system.
• Gambling Therapy — Multilingual international peer support, including English.

If you or someone close to you is in immediate distress, contact Mental Helse 116 123 any time of day or night.

Tools for self-management

• Reset on demand. Use the reset button in the parlour header to clear your virtual balance at any time.
• Clear local storage. Your age confirmation and balance are stored only on your device. Clear them from your browser's privacy settings to wipe the slate clean.
• Block at the device level. If you'd like to keep yourself out, use your operating system or browser parental-control settings to block mintthicket entirely.

Protecting minors

Mintthicket is strictly for adults aged 18 or over. We verify age at the door with a hard gate, but no online verification is perfect. Parents and guardians are the strongest line of defence — please use device-level parental controls to keep casino-themed content away from children, including ours.

How we design for safety

• No real-money deposit mechanism exists in the codebase. There is nothing to disable, because there is nothing there.
• We do not use loss-chasing prompts, fake countdowns, near-miss visuals or other dark patterns.
• Sessions can be ended at any moment with no penalty, no streak loss and no "come back tomorrow" hook.
• Game outcomes are produced by a clearly explained random number generator running in your browser. No outcome depends on prior play.

Questions or concerns

Reach us directly at [email protected]. We read everything sent to that address and respond within five working days.