Safety is paramount when betting on sports. It’s too easy to make small errors that compromise your safety and leave you in a bad position.
Unsafe gamblers waste money and end up in debt – that’s not what you want to do!
Staying safe doesn’t have to be challenging and we’ve got five very straightforward tips to remain vigilant when you gamble.
Only join trusted betting sites
Don’t join or use a betting website unless you are 100% sure it’s trustworthy. All bookmakers in the United Kingdom are known to be safe as they have to follow rigid licensing requirements. Looking for a UKGC licence helps you find these sites and you can revel in their safety.
But what about websites all over the world? You have international bookmakers without UK licences that are just as trustworthy as those in the UK.
And what about betting sites that don’t comply with self-exclusion schemes? Many non-GamStop bookies and sportsbooks allowing online betting not on BetStop are more than safe enough for you to join.
In other words, don’t depend on a UK licence as the only indicator of a trusted betting site. Different factors should be taken into consideration, such as:
- Reviews from reputable sources – Search for betting site reviews and see the consensus from respected experts. This is a quick way to identify unsafe sites as every review will either say the platform should be blacklisted or is unsafe to use.
- Certifications & accreditations – Look at the bottom of a betting site’s home page to see if it has any certificates. This can include cybersecurity certificates, accreditations stating the odds are fair, GoDadd domain certifications and much more. When a site has things like this, it sends big trust signals your way and confirms the platform’s authenticity.
You have nothing to worry about from a safety point of view if you only join trustworthy betting websites. Punters are sometimes guilty of joining any site they find, which often leads to being scammed. You’ll always avoid this problem by doing enough research before joining.
Set deposit limits
Staying safe isn’t just about ensuring a website is legitimate and has great security features. It’s also about maintaining safe gambling habits while you bet. Some would say you are the biggest threat to your safety when betting on sports – and we’re inclined to agree!
Sports betting itself isn’t that dangerous; it’s how you bet that’s the problem.
The biggest issue is spending too much money, often resulting in spending money you don’t have. There’s a wild statistic from GambleAware stating the median spend for gamblers in 30 days is £1,000. Even wilder is that 40% of the participants surveyed to gain that statistic said they spent more than this.
Overspending is a serious safety issue, yet also one of the easiest to prevent. Set deposit limits when you join betting sites to restrict how much money you spend. Set daily, weekly or monthly deposits so you can easily create a betting budget. This stops you from going overboard and lets you accommodate betting as another hobby in your spare time. Think about how much you might spend on going to the cinema or having dinner out every month. Set that as your monthly deposit limit and you’ll be fine.
Use a secure payment method
Choosing the most secure payment option possible is an excellent way to ensure your money remains safe when betting on sports. To be fair, this is a general “internet safety” tip as well – whenever you buy something, be sure you’re using a trustworthy payment method with great security features.
Which option is the best? In all honesty, PayPal likely comes out on top. Some say there are no additional safety benefits to using it over regular debit/credit card payments but it does carry a few advantages, especially on betting websites:
- No need to share card details – Linking a PayPal account to a betting site means your card details stay hidden away. You don’t have to put them on the site, meaning they’re potentially at risk if the site gets hacked. This is rare, but it’s always good to take precautions.
- PayPal requires 2FA – Two-factor authentication is required whenever you sign into PayPal and when you perform most transactions. It can be a tad annoying when you wish to deposit funds on a betting site and have to confirm your identity via the PayPal app or through a text code. However, it stops people from trying to hack your PayPal account and gaining access to your betting site accounts too.
Pay securely and you will feel extra safe at any online betting website.
Stop chasing losses
Stay well away from unhealthy and unsafe betting habits like chasing losses. This is when you constantly bet money after losing your bets. You watched the football the other day and wanted to bet on a match. You were so confident the bet would win, but it didn’t. Angry and annoyed, you went ahead and bet on another match to recover your losses. It failed again.
The cycle repeats until you’ve spent way too much money and lost more than you would’ve if you simply stopped the first time. This can partially be prevented by setting deposit limits but what if you have enough money in your betting account to keep chasing loss after loss?
Some sites let you set wagering limits, otherwise you need to stay mentally strong. Get into the habit of walking away if you lose three bets in a row. That’s the limit. Any more than this and you’re in trouble, so stop betting before you throw away all your previous winnings.
Block online betting adverts
We’re always bombarded with adverts about online sports betting – particularly when we don’t want to see them. You could be taking a break from betting when all of a sudden an ad pops up promising a great welcome offer. It tempts you back in, you overspend, and more money is lost.
Or, you get ads from sites that look legit but end up being dodgy. It’s super annoying – so you’ll be happy to know there are ways of restricting the gambling adverts shown to you. Safer Gambling Week has lots of excellent resources on this, showing you how to block gambling ads across all social media. It’s worth trying if you think adverts keep encouraging bad habits and putting your safety at risk.
You need to stay safe when betting on sports and there’s no excuse not to be. A bit of vigilance is required to filter the bad sites out, leaving you with trustworthy bookmakers. Then, it’s a case of managing your betting habits to be as safe as humanly possible!
