Here at Myracing, we are strong advocates of Responsible Gambling, which maintains the principle that gambling should be enjoyable and kept at a safe level.
Advances in technology have made the ability to place a bet now easier than ever, and with that in mind, it is important to keep a budget on the amount that you are willing to spend gambling – and not to deviate from that.
Here, we have identified why doing this is a necessity, and provided pointers on how to stick to a budget, so followers of our horse racing tips – or greyhound racing tips – can keep this a fun process.
Two important values to stick to when gambling is to never bet more than you can afford to lose – and to never chase your losses.
Keeping to a budget helps negate these issues, with an initial budget on what you’re willing to spend on a monthly, or even daily basis, allowing you to remain in control and preventing your gambling from becoming a problem.
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.
If you have gone over your budget and want to prevent the option to bet again, 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 your gambling is resulting in you unable to pay bills or becoming so time-consuming that you are beginning to spend less time with friends and family – it is time to get help.
For 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.