Stay in Control: Responsible Gambling for Bettors
The short answer
Betting is for adults, aged 18 and over, and in some places the legal age is higher. Keeping control means deciding your limit before you bet, staking only what you can afford to lose, and stopping or taking a break as soon as betting stops being fun. AsianConnect, BetInAsia, MadMarket and Sportmarket each offer self-exclusion, and the table below sets out their tools. If betting is causing you or someone close to you trouble, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon are listed under help.
Age and the law
Eighteen is the floor, not the rule everywhere. The legal age to bet can be higher than 18 where you live, and the law there decides whether online betting is open to you at all. BetInAsia and MadMarket write the same line into their terms: you are over 18, or the legal age where you live. A broker can ask for proof of age at any time, and the page on age and identity checks at brokers covers what that involves.
How to keep control
Decide before you bet, not during. Fix the most you will stake in a week (an amount you can lose without touching rent, bills or savings) and keep to it. A ceiling, not a target. Treat a loss as the cost of the evening, not a debt to collect, and do not chase it with a bigger stake. Take breaks, and do not bet when you are upset or have been drinking (judgement slips in both cases). Small steps, taken before the first bet.
Signs it is time to stop or take a break
These situations come from the questions in a short self-check from Gambling Therapy. None of them is a diagnosis, and only you can judge your own betting.
- You have bet more than you can afford to lose.
- You need bigger stakes to feel the same excitement.
- You go back another day to chase a loss.
- You have borrowed money or sold something to bet.
- Betting brings stress, anxiety or money trouble for you or your household.
- People close to you criticise your betting, or you feel guilty about it.
If one of these is true, take a break, use a tool in the next section, or talk to someone listed under help.
Tools the four brokers give you
Each broker has its own tools, set in the account. If brokers are new to you, how a bet broker works explains the set-up.
| Broker | Tools |
|---|---|
| AsianConnect | Self-exclusion. The exclusion agreement is in the Profile section of the AMS. |
| BetInAsia | In the Portal: Cool-Off from 24 hours to 3 months; Self-Exclusion from 1 year to permanent, which cannot be reversed; deposit and transfer limits per day, week or month. Lowering a limit takes effect at once, raising it after 7 days. Self-exclusion by email: write to Customer Support from your registered address, and it takes effect within 24 hours of receipt. |
| MadMarket | Self-exclusion on request: write to customer support from the email address on your account. It takes effect within 24 hours of receipt, and the account stays deactivated until further notice. |
| Sportmarket | Self-Limit: a deposit limit over 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. Timeout: 48 hours, 7 days or 1 month, with deposits, transfers and bets blocked and withdrawals still possible. Self-Exclusion: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, or permanent, and it cannot be lifted before the end. Limits on stakes, deposits and losses are available on request by email to support. |
A limit you set on yourself is a safer gambling tool (you pick the number, not the bookmaker). A limit a bookmaker puts on your account is the bookmaker's own decision, and it is a different subject, covered under limits a bookmaker puts on an account.
Where to get help
Bet Brokers does not run any of the three organisations below. Each has its own site.
Gambling Therapy is a free, global online service offering practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by gambling. Its page on blocking software explains that such software can be part of a strategy for stopping, though not a simple solution.
Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling, and there are no dues or fees. Its meeting finder lists meetings in person, online or by telephone, and an international meeting list.
Gam-Anon exists to welcome and give assistance and comfort to those affected by someone else's gambling problem. Its meetings are open to anyone affected by the gambling of a family member, loved one or friend, and it keeps an international directory and a virtual directory.
If someone close to you bets too much
Say what you have noticed, say that you are worried, and listen. You can look after yourself too: Gam-Anon meetings are open to relatives and friends, and Gambling Therapy has support for friends and family. You do not have to face this alone.
About this page
This page is general information about keeping control of betting. It is not medical advice, and it cannot assess your situation. Bet Brokers takes no bets and holds no money; what the site is is set out on the About page, and the terms of use cover this page like every other. If you spot a mistake, get in touch and we correct it.