Safer Gambling – The Big Questions

Safer Gambling Week runs until November 24th and is a cross-industry initiative that helps promote safer gambling in the UK and Ireland.

Here at myracing.com, we are committed to responsible gambling which helps people to stay in control and keeping it fun and enjoyable.

We promote safer gambling to allow followers of our Horse Racing and Greyhound Racing tips to bet responsibly. If you feel you may have a problem with gambling, other people close to you have ever questioned your gambling, or you have ever regretted a bet, you are showing signs of problem gambling.

How do I know that my gambling is getting out of control?

If you are betting more than you can afford to lose – or you are chasing your losses – your gambling is getting out of control. If losing or winning a bet is the difference between you paying bills, or becoming so time-consuming that you are seeing family and friends less, it is time to cool off.

When you start gambling more than normal to increase the excitement or start borrowing money to continue gambling – it is a telltale sign that you need to reassess your relationship with betting.

How do I tone down my gambling?

Setting aside a budget that you are prepared to lose, and not deviating from that limit, should help if you want to tone down your betting. Using the Deposit Limit feature on your chosen online betting account is a handy way of restricting the amount you can deposit over a certain time frame.

Keeping a close eye on your Account History allows you to track settled and unsettled bets, deposits and withdrawals, to see how much you have bet over a certain period. Setting Reality Checks will also produce regular pop up alerts that will show the amount of time you have been logged into your account.

How do I prevent myself from gambling?

If it gets to the stage where you want to stop gambling, the Cool Off Period feature on your account will prevent access to a site in the short term – usually up to 30 days. If a longer-term option is preferred, Self Exclusion provides a similar service, but usually for months or even years.

If these options have been exhausted and you require further advice on how you – or someone you know – can receive help to prevent gambling, organisations such as BeGambleAware, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous and GamCare provide professional help on how to move forward.