Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
We are in the middle of Responsible Gambling Week 2019 – a multi-industry initiative that helps promote safer and more responsible gambling in the UK and Ireland.
Here at freesupertips.com, we are fully committed to responsible gambling and to finding ways to help people to keep their gambling fun, enjoyable and under control.
We want followers and readers of our football tips to bet responsibly, and if you feel as though you’re struggling, or that your gambling might be becoming a problem, it might be time to take a step back and ask yourself some important questions.
How do I know if my gambling is getting out of control?
If you are betting more than you can afford to lose, or you find that you are chasing your losses and spending beyond your means or limits, your gambling might be getting out of control.
If winning or losing a particular bet is the difference between you paying bills, meeting obligations or seeing family and friends, it could be a good time to take a break and reassess the impact gambling is having on your life.
How do get my gambling back under control?
It’s always vital to budget properly and set aside money that you can only afford to lose before you gamble. It’s also a wise move to set a limit and to stick rigidly to it.
The vast majority of online bookmakers allow you to set a Deposit Limit, which is a handy, hands free way to restrict the amount you can deposit within a certain time frame.
A pre-determined budget/limit along with a bookmakers’ deposit limit is a savvy combination to use, and it can help you keep you full on top and in control of your gambling.
It’s also a very useful exercise to keep a close eye on your Account History, where you can tack all of your settled and unsettled bets, as well as your deposit and withdrawal records.
You can also set up Reality Checks, that allow you to actively choose whether you want to continue playing during an online session. These safety alerts can be modified and customised to notify you at different intervals.
Can I prevent myself from gambling?
If you decide that you want to stop gambling altogether, you can active the Cool Off Period feature on your account. This option prevents all access to the relevant bookmaker’s website for a short term, usually up to 30 days.
For a longer-term solution, users can opt to activate the Self Exclusion service, which operates in a similar way, but for much longer periods.
If you have been through and tried the aforementioned options and you require further advice and information on how you, or someone you know, can find help to prevent or stop gambling, organisations such as BeGambleAware, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous and GamCare provide professional help services.
Visit our dedicated Responsible Gambling Week 2019 information page to find out more about it.
For more information about Responsible Gambling Week, visit the initiative’s official website here.
You can read more about our own Responsible Gambling guidelines here.
