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March2March 2, 2023

7 Ways You Can Avoid Making Stupid Bets

Want to avoid stupid bets? We’re with you on that front too.

Betting on darts can be fun. But there are loads of times that you might find yourself making stupid bets that really, you could’ve avoided.

We’re going to help you on your quest to stop betting in a silly way. Once you avoid stupid bets that you regret making, you can make sure your betting sessions are a little smarter and safer.

1. Think twice

It’s all too easy to just press a button online and make a wager. But one of the most useful pieces of advice we’ve ever heard is to pause before making every single sports bet. Decide what you want to bet. Then take a step back. Make a tea, have a look out the window. Think about it. If you still want to make the bet after a few minutes, then go for it. If you’ve decided it’s not for you, then that’s great. That’s one stupid bet avoided!

2. Don’t bet under the influence

Whether your poison is alcohol or any other mood or mind altering substance, you should certainly not be under the influence while you’re betting. Betting when you’re drunk is going to lead to you make stupid decisions.

3. Always stick to your budget

Your gambling budget should be at the heart of every decision you make at the bookies, whether that’s online or offline. Once you go over your daily, weekly, monthly or yearly limit, every bet you make after that is definitely not worth it. Even if it comes in, it’s not smart to overspend on your gambling budget.

4. Never try to make up money you lost

You made a bet. Things didn’t go your way. What can we say, it happens. The worst thing you can do is try to rectify that situation by betting more. The subsequent bets you make to try and replenish your funds are undoubtedly going to be made out of desperation not out of a sports savvy. Betting more is probably just going to result in your losing more!

5. Keep your mental health in check

If you’re annoyed, stressed out or anxious, you’re probably not going to be thinking straight about anything, let alone betting. Avoid stupid bets by making sure that your head is straight when you’re enjoying a flutter. But as an aside, if you find that betting itself is making your feel anxious (or if you feel bad when you don’t bet), this is a warning sign you might have a gambling problem and you should get help.

6. Don’t spend too long betting

If you don’t keep an eye on the length of your gambling sessions, they can get too long without you even noticing the time go. The longer you bet, the sloppier you become. You’ll get tired, you’ll be less focused. So to keep yourself sharp and avoid stupid bets, you should take a look at limiting the time you spend gambling.

7. Know how gambling works

Sometimes understanding the mechanics of gambling can help you navigate the world of making smart bets a little better. Arming yourself with more knowledge, especially the fact that sportsbook’s main goal is to make money off punters, puts you in a much better position than sticking your head in the sand.

Getting help for a gambling problem

No amount of advice to avoid stupid bets is going to help you if you’re battling with a gambling problem. You need to stop gambling entirely to overcome addiction. And in order to give yourself the best chance, you should get external help. UK-based Be Gamble Aware is a really important resource that you can turn to for practical advice and support.

Here are a few more responsible gambling articles that you might find helpful:

October6October 6, 2022

6 Practical Things You Can Do To Stop Minors From Gambling

By ChristineIn

Darts Betting Tips

Kids and gambling should never mix. We all know that’s true. But at the same time, it can be difficult to know how to practically try to make sure kids stay away from gambling.

We’re going to give you a few straightforward tips that you can use in your life. Nothing difficult to follow. Just things you can keep in mind to give you a little more peace of mind when it comes to kids and gambling.

1. Familiarize yourself with age limits in your jurisdiction

Depending on where you live, the minimum age limit for gambling can vary. In some places it’s as low as 18 years of age, meanwhile other places it can be 21 years of age. So at the start of your journey to discourage kids and gambling, know the correct age limit you’re dealing with.

2. Keep your passwords to yourself

We’ve all been there before. Your teen wants to use your phone for something or other. So you just shout out your passcode so they can type it in. And that’s fine. But if you also have online gambling accounts that you’re logged in to on your device, or if you use the same passcode or password for those accounts, you’ve just given them access to your online gambling accounts.

So remove the temptation straight away by not giving your child access to passwords they can use to access gambling accounts. And also remember to log out every time you use your online gambling accounts too.

3. Make use of parental controls

Parental controls are an extremely easy thing that you can use on any device your child uses. Whether that’s their own smartphone, yours, tables, laptops or smart TVs, they can all be a little more secure when a parental control is put in place.

It’s usually fairly self-explanatory in settings, but if you can’t find out how to do it yourself, a quick Google should clear things up.

4. Get external software for extra security

If you feel like you need an extra layer of security, you can get external software to keep kids and gambling separated. NetNanny covers a wide range of different not-safe-for-children areas. Meanwhile GamBlock is specifically for gambling.

5. Report minors using your account (or creating their own)

If you suspect a minor is using your account or that they have created their own, report it immediately to the online gambling site. They are compelled to shut down and suspend all activity on accounts they think are used by underage players. Winnings will be forfeited and they’ll be banned.

Because of age verification software, this should not be happening too frequently. But there’s always a chance, so definitely report it if you are suspicious.

6. Know when to talk about kids and gambling

Talking to kids about gambling is also really important. It might feel like it’s the last thing you should do, but talking to them in a straightforward way about it will mean they’ll get the facts from a trustworthy source. Tell them that gambling doesn’t make sports more exciting. Tell them that gambling is designed so that people lose more than they earn, therefore, it’s not a smart way to make money. And tell them that it’s possible to get addicted to gambling.