Safer Gambling
Racing-Odds.com is 100% committed to responsible gambling. We will only promote betting sites who have measures in place to ensure that customers keep their betting in check. As the saying goes, when the fun stops, stop. We're big advocates of readers only gambling what they can afford to lose. There is never any guarantee of landing a return from sports betting.
Free Bets Don't Mean a Guaranteed Win
All the bookmakers will offer you a free bet when you sign up for an account. However, there are terms and conditions attached to an offer. It's generally the case that you will need to make a real money deposit and then place a qualifying bet. Therefore, there's a risk to your stake before you get the free bet.
Having free bets can be fun although there's no guarantee of landing a return. Even if an offer seems too good to be true, you can still lose money. The same applies to odds-on shots. Horses are regularly beaten at short prices and there's no such thing as a dead cert.
Set Up a Deposit Limit When You Sign Up
When you sign up with any of the bookmakers listed at Racing-Odds.com, you should know that they are regulated and licensed in the UK. Being licensed by the Gambling Commission means that the betting operators have to adhere to strict conditions. Chiefly among these is ensuring that responsible gambling is promoted to new and existing customers.
When you sign up for an account, there will be an option to set a deposit limit. This option is usually available when you register a payment method for the first time. You can set a daily, weekly or monthly limit. This means that when you have hit your limit in terms of deposits, then it's not possible to fund your account with any more money.
We always say "do something that your future self will thank you for". Setting a deposit limit means that if you are ever disappointed with the outcome of a bet and want to chase your losses, a deposit limit will ensure that you are not at risk of losing any further money.
What Other Responsible Gambling Tools Are Available?
Beyond setting deposit limits, there are lots of other ways in which you can protect yourself and ensure safe gambling is always on the cards. Here are the main tools:
Reality Checks
We regularly receive a reality check if we've spent a certain amount of time on a betting site, even if we've just been looking at the odds! When signing up, you can dictate when you receive a reality check reminder. It could be every 20 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour. It's sometimes possible that a customer loses track of time, especially when the horse races are coming thick and fast.
Cool-Off Periods
We all need a breather from sports and horse racing betting sometimes. While many customers are able to identify when they've been spending too much time placing wagers, it's not always easy to be aware that it might become a problem. Being able to choose a cool-off period allows a bookmaker to put a block in place for a specific amount of time.
This time period enables you to take a step back from sports betting and reflect on the frequency with which you bet on the horses. Whether you have been winning or losing with your racing betting, it's always good to catch breath and return to a betting site with a fresh pair of eyes.
Self-Exclusion
As a customer, you should not be afraid of self-excluding. This may be the most sensible course of action if betting is becoming a problem. It's super-easy to contact a bookmaker and request self-exclusion. It prevents you from being able to access your account and it can be administered on a temporary or permanent basis.
Check Your Profit & Loss
All UK-regulated bookmakers are now legally bound to provide access to customers when it comes to profit and loss. You are able to take a deep dive into the numbers and find out how much you have won or lost over a specific time period. You can even split this out by sport and it's useful to understand where you have been successful and unsuccessful.
From a responsible gambling point of view, it can also be quite revealing. Many punters will claim that they "roughly break even" from their horse racing betting. However, the bookies wouldn't be in business if everyone either won or broke even. Therefore, it's good to face up to your profit and loss to understand how much you might be losing and over what time period.
How Can I Get Support for Problem Gambling?
If you feel as though you need further support beyond the available tools, then there are a number of ways that you can reach out. Here are the recommended options:
GamCare
Our advised first port of call should be GamCare. This is a non-profitable organisation which has been long-established. It aims to provide support for gamblers who feel as though their betting has taken over. There is assistance and, in some cases, counselling for those that feel as though they need to talk through the issues that they've experienced.
No problem should ever be regarded as too small and GamCare allow customers to speak openly about their betting. At the very least, they are a great sounding board and have experienced people, many of who have previously had gambling problems of their own and now help others.
You can visit www.gamcare.org.uk for more information and help or contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (24 hours, 7 days a week).
GambleAware
The Responsible Gambling Trust provide the funding for this site, with customers able to get free help by reaching out through the website. This national charity actually raises funds from the British gambling industry including a series of UK-licensed operators. The money is then used to provide resources so that problem gambling is dealt with effectively. You can visit www.gambleaware.org for more information.