How sportsbook apps can help you bet responsibly

Editor’s note: Birches Health is a leading national provider of Responsible Gaming resources and Problem Gambling treatment, offering clinical care from the comfort of home covered by insurance and state government funding.

September is Responsible Gaming Education Month, an annual campaign aiming to educate and empower consumers with the knowledge and tools to play responsibly. The concept of betting responsibly isn’t new, and most bettors have likely at least heard about core concepts like bankroll management, unit sizing, never chasing losses and limiting the time dedicated to gambling.

But there are also simple features within online sportsbook apps and sites that can help you bet more responsibly and aim to ensure that sports betting remains a casual, enjoyable recreational activity. Although these tools are optional, it is strongly recommended that all users utilize options like deposit, wager amount and time limits as an extra set of guardrails.

Let’s run through some of the key features that can assist with responsible gambling.

Deposit limits

One of the most popular and highly beneficial features is the ability to limit how much you can deposit over a set period of time. This connects directly with the concept of bankroll management. Once you’ve decided on a betting budget, which should be an amount you’re willing to lose without any impact on your financial health, you should set a deposit limit for that amount for a set timeframe in your sportsbook of choice.

For example, if you determine that you can afford to potentially lose $100 per month betting on sports, you can go into your sportsbook app and set a monthly deposit limit of $100. If you attempt to deposit more than that within a one-month period, the app will block you from doing so unless you actively change the limit. Some apps can also make you wait multiple days for the change to take effect, helping ensure that you aren’t making any rash decisions – potentially while in an emotional state – that go against what you’d previously decided.

Loss limits

Loss limits are similar to deposit limits, but instead of choosing a maximum amount of funds for depositing, you can select a maximum amount that you are willing to lose within a time period. Once the loss limit is reached, you are prevented from placing any more bets until the limit resets at the end of chosen time period.

Time limits

These are probably self-explanatory, but time limits simply allow users to set a maximum amount of time for how long they can use the sportsbook app or site each day. Users who utilize this feature are notified if they’ve reached the end of the selected time limit and cannot resume using their account until the following day.

'Timeouts' and 'cool-off' periods

A key tenet of responsible gaming is knowing yourself and your tendencies. If you’ve ever said to yourself something like, “I am never betting again” after a bad beat, but then end up placing another wager a short time later, you may want to consider utilizing the “timeout” or “cool-off” feature of your preferred sportsbook(s). You can choose how long of a timeout you want to take – some sportsbooks have a minimum, such as three days – and as a result your account will be blocked for that time.

Another important part of betting responsibly is maintaining balance with non-betting activities. Taking a timeout from gambling can allow you to focus on other things like exercise, getting outside or socializing with friends and family.

Betting reports and stat sheets

Some sportsbooks also offer users a full view of their past betting activity over a certain time period. Being able to see in one place how much you’ve risked, lost and won recently can be helpful, and some operators also provide a breakdown of your wagers by sport and/or bet type. This can help make you a more well-informed bettor by seeing simplified analysis of your betting strengths and weaknesses.

It’s worth noting, however, that even if you see that you’ve been most profitable (or have just lost the lowest amount) for a certain sport, it is incredibly difficult to turn a profit in the long term in sports betting. As we’ve noted before, the odds are skewed notably in the sportsbooks’ favor to ensure they maximize profits, which can translate into losses by consumers.

Specialized Gambling Addiction care and resources

These modern sportsbook features can help encourage and facilitate responsible play, but they are not mandatory, and unfortunately many bettors do not utilize them. And even if you do, all of your friends and family may not follow suit. Plus, using these RG features does not guarantee that a gambling problem won’t develop.

If tools like deposit limits and cool-off periods haven’t been helpful enough, and you or someone you know may be struggling with gambling, there are specialized resources and support options now available.

Birches Health is a national treatment provider with a team of specially trained counselors who assist people with gambling addiction and related behavioral health disorders. Care sessions are conducted virtually through teletherapy from the comfort of home, making scheduling and logistics much easier. Plus, Birches believes that finances should never be a blocker to top-quality treatment, so they aim to keep costs low (or free for many) by partnering with insurance companies and state government organizations.

To connect with a Birches Health care specialist, please call (833) 483-3838 or send an email to hello@bircheshealth.com. You can also refer a friend or loved one confidentially by clicking here.