Football betting can be fun. It brings fans closer to the action while making a match mean even more. Every time you wager on a football match, you have the chance to win money. The more experience you gain with football betting, the more money you have the opportunity to win.
Betting on football seems harmless, but the fact is, football betting can cause problems. Individuals with a gambling addiction can find it difficult to stop betting on football matches. The excitement of betting on matches can come crashing down.
It is important to know when to stop gambling. As the saying goes, "when the fun stops, the gambling stops". It is easier said than done, however. Betting on football can be a problem for some people. There is a segment of the population that struggles with gambling addiction every day. A compulsive gambler may believe no one gets harmed, the truth is, family members and friends can be harmed.
If betting on football is a problem for you, then there is help available. You aren't alone and adults across the United Kingdom battle the addiction to bet on football every day.
What is Football Betting?
Football is the most popular sport in the world to wager on. People all over the world bet on football as they try to be the bookies.
Football's popularity to bet on comes due to a variety of reasons. For one, it is the world's most popular sport. It is played across the globe from major leagues to small local teams. Many of the world's leading sportsbooks offer odds and markets on football matches in far flung corners of the world.
Due to matches begin played around the world, there are games almost every hour of every day being played somewhere. Bookies are able to offer odds on these matches and markets, giving football bettors the chance to lay down their wagers.
In the last decade, sports betting has exploded. There are now more games, markets, and odds than ever before. New sportsbooks have also popped up providing bettors with the chance to earn rewards and bonuses for betting on football.
How Easy Is It to Bet on Football?
It is extremely easy to bet on football. Simply sign up to an online gambling website and open an account at a sportsbook. After verifying your identity and setting up your account, all you need to do is fund the account.
Once you have funded your account with money, you can explore the football markets on the website. The ease at which sportsbooks make it to sign up for their services is one of the problems some young adults have with gambling. It is simple to start an account and within minutes, you can wager on a match.
Is Sports Betting Addictive?
Gambling is known as a process addiction, also known as a behavioral addiction. Process addictions are different than chemical addictions. Rather than being addicted to drink, drugs, or substances, an individual is addicted to the feeling they get from the process.
A person who is addicted to gambling enjoys the excitement and rush of placing the bet and the feeling of winning. Unfortunately, if the bet loses, the individual often feels a crushing defeat.
Sports betting can become an addiction for some people. Plenty of people do not become addicted to gambling or football betting. However, there is a segment of people that are more susceptible to addiction than others.
How Do I Know that I Have a Gambling Addiction?
There are signs and symptoms to be aware of that will identify whether or not you have a problem gambling.
The signs and symptoms of gambling addiction are:
- Being preoccupied with football betting
- Constantly planning football betting activities and how to obtain more money to gamble
- Needing to bet increased amounts of money to gain the same thrill as before
- Unsuccessfully trying to control, cut back, or stop betting on sports
- Feeling restless, angry, or irritable when attempting to cut back on gambling
- Gambling to escape issues, problems, or to relieve guilt, anxiety, or depression
- Chasing losses and trying to win back lost money
- Lying to family members and friends about your gambling issues
- Hiding the extent of your football and sports betting
- Risking or losing important relationships with friends and family, a job, school, or work opportunities due to betting on sports
- Asking friends and family members to help you financially due to money problems
Can Gambling Affect Your Mental Health?
Sports gambling addiction can have a major impact on your mental health. When gambling on sports becomes an issue, your self-esteem can be damaged.
You may begin to suffer from low self-esteem. In turn, anxiety can occur followed by depression. These are two of the biggest mental health issues the world faces today. You don't have to be addicted to sports betting to suffer from anxiety and depression. An addiction can make these mental health issues even worse, however.
Like drugs and alcohol, gambling on sports can become an addiction. This may occur if you feel out of control. Compulsive gamblers struggle because they don't know how to stop gambling until they lose all of their money. Even hitting rock bottom doesn't always help.
Sports betting may affect the area of your brain that releases dopamine. Dopamine is the 'feel good' hormone. It creates feelings of pleasure. When you win a bet, your brain provides you with an emotional reward.
Individuals addicted to gambling want to feel this same buzz over and over again. However, the impact of the buzz decreases, which can cause your mental health to falter. If you begin losing and debt rises due to sports betting, your mental health could take an even greater hit.
What Do I Do If I Keep Chasing Losses?
Chasing losses is one of the biggest signs of gambling addiction. A lot of sports bettors will chase losses, but trying to win back your money is a slippery slope. There is a difference between chasing losses on a small bet one time and doing it every time you lose money.
One of the most important things to remember about gambling is that you should never use it to make money. Betting on sports to make money is a surefire way to lose bets. Betting should only be done if you have the money available to do it. Once the money you have set aside to use on betting is gone, then your gambling should be finished.
Another important tip is to accept the losses. The odds of winning money are always in the favour of the bookie. If you lose a bet, it is best to just move on. Problem gamblers that chase their lost money can set up timeouts on their online betting account. Once all your money has been gambled, you can be stopped from continuing.
If chasing lost money continues, then it is important to get professional treatment. There are plenty of options available that will help you get clean.
What Can I Do If I Have A Gambling Addiction?
There is help out there, so you are not alone if you have a gambling addiction. One of the best resources available is Gamblers Anonymous. The support groups provided by Gamblers Anonymous can help you alter your habits.
You may need more advanced help, however. Professional help is available that will help you control and avoid gambling going forward.
Gambling addiction may be treated in the same way as alcohol and drug addiction. Professionals often use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat gambling problems. CBT will examine your beliefs about football and sports betting. It will also explore the way you feel and behave when gambling on sports.
Professional help comes in many forms. You can check into a residential therapy rehab, join a support group, or even take an online CBT course. There are a variety of ways to treat mental disorders. You can find the mental health treatment options that fit into your life to gain the help needed.
Are Gambling Addictions Common?
According to the BBC, gambling addiction affects as many as 1% of the population. You may not believe that 1% is a lot of the population, but it truly is.
If the BBC's information is current, then around 684,979 people in the United Kingdom suffer from gambling addiction. Therefore, it is a common issue that people in the UK deal with.
What makes gambling addiction prevalent in the UK is the number of opportunities people have to bet on sports. Although there are fewer than before, you will find high street bookies in towns and cities across the UK.
Technology has made gambling even more of an issue. You can set up an online account and be betting on sports in just a few minutes. The ease of which gambling occurs today leads to problems. In the end, individuals addicted to betting can have financial problems that lead to mental health issues.
What Can the Bookmakers Do If I Want to Take a Break from Football Betting?
One of the tools you possess in the battle against sports betting addiction is self exclusion. Self exclusion allows you to take a break from betting on sports.
Most respectable online bookies will offer you the chance to join the self exclusion list. The self-exclusion tool legally binds a bookie to stop providing its service to you. You will be excluded from the bookies' service for a set period of time, ranging from 24 hours to six weeks.
Can I Limit What I Bet?
Some major bookies allow you to limit the amount of money you deposit into your account. You can also limit how often you can add funds to your betting account. In some cases, you may have to work on limiting the amount of money you bet yourself.
One of the best tools to limit the money you bet on sports is to keep a journal. You should write down exactly what you bet on, how much money you wagered, and why you bet on that specific sporting event. A journal will help you identify patterns and could make you aware of triggers that cause you to bet on sports. In addition, it will give you a financial figure of how much you bet.
A journal may also help you realise why you are making some bets. For example, if you are betting on a specific day each week, you may uncover that there is something about that specific day or the following one that influences your gambling habits. A journal could influence you to find new hobbies that are more positive. A betting journal is a type of statistical manual that will give you insight into your life.
Finally, you can limit the amount of money used on gambling by setting aside a specific bankroll amount each week. Once this bankroll is gone, the gambling has to stop until the bankroll is funded again the next week.
What is Self Exclusion?
Self exclusion allows you to take a break from betting on sports and bookmakers. After enrolling in the program, you won't be able to sign into an online betting account. You won't be sent any information on upcoming promos or betting events either.
Tell me About BeGambleAware
BeGambleAware is run and funded by an independent charity and is dedicated to keeping people safe from the harms of gambling. The group helps people struggling with gambling disorder to make informed issues about their money.
Tell Me About GamStop
GamStop helps individuals struggling with gambling issues to control their online sports betting activity. The group helps prevent individuals from using gambling apps and websites that are licensed in the UK.
Top Tips to Stop Gambling Today
Professionals differ on the ways to stop gambling full stop. Some believe residential rehab care works best while others believe a problem gambler could seek help from support groups. Here is a list of 10 tips to stop gambling today:
- Plan ahead to avoid boredom
- Take each day, one day at a time
- Find new hobbies to take up your free time
- Be vigilant to control your urges
- Find ways to cope with stress that are healthy
- Remember that gambling leads to losing money
- Identify triggers allowing you to cope with them
- Write a daily list of gratitudes and picture a future without gambling
- Join a support group for further help in numbers
- Use a smartphone app to help you ease gambling urges
Summary
Football betting, sports betting, and casino gambling can all lead to addiction. The good news is that just 1% of people in the UK suffer from gambling addiction.
Fortunately, if you, friends, or family members suffer from gambling addiction, there is help available. Professional help will give you clarity on the issues you face and can lead to fully healing.
Gambling disorder and addiction may be difficult to identify. The signs and symptoms may not always be apparent until it is too late. Still, there is help available for those that seek professional assistance. Whether you want to attend a residential rehab, support group meetings, or take an online CBT course for gambling disorder, you can find help to improve your life.
Who knows? Your next big win could be ending your gambling addiction. It would be the best win of all.
