If you are an active player and have had your share of visits to various betting sites, or sites that offer promo codes such as this one for the PlaySugarHouse sportsbook, you might have noticed that each and every one of them (or rather, every one that is any good) has a section called ‘Responsible gambling’, or something to that effect. There is a reason for this and we are going to discuss it for a while.

This isn’t a company disclaimer that you should ignore, or laugh off. Warnings on cigarette packs come to mind as a similar notice that goes disregarded. Gambling is addictive – it makes dopamine signal out to your brain that it is good, and you should do it more, the same way tobacco and alcohol do. It is the reason many players don’t care about winning or losing money, but rather betting again and again for the joy, the thrill, and the chase.

If a person is prone to addiction, they could easily take gambling too far. They could lose their home, their friends and loved ones might turn away from them, and they may end up owing a substantial amount of money because they lost some they didn’t have. So how does one go about responsible gambling? Here is our two-cents on the matter.

•         Earning money – Betting is entertaining, but not exactly profitable. Don’t look at it as your day job, but as your pastime. It is, indeed, similar to investment, but they are not the same. There is no steady income from it, unless you are the casino. After all, the house always wins.
•         Credit – The amount of money you use to bet should always be equal to, or less than, the amount of money you are prepared to lose and throw away. It is unwise to bet using money that you don’t have, or money that you need for something else. Pay your bills, erase your debts, and then use your money for this hobby.
•         Losses – There are people who can’t handle losing. You will find them with a sparkle in their eyes, urging the casino, personnel, or the machine to let them play one more game, because this is the one! Know when it’s time to cut your losses and walk away.
•         Limits – As with anything else, in order to be responsible, and not let this intrude on other aspects of your life, you must impose limits on it and yourself. This means that you should limit the time you spend betting on games, matches, and races. People constantly lose track of time in casinos, as the bright lights and the lack of a clock prevent you from being sure whether it’s morning, afternoon, or night. In addition to time, limiting money is a good idea. Set aside a certain amount just for this purpose and don’t go over it. Remember, what you set aside is what you are prepared to lose.
•      Impaired judgment – Consider the following: depression, sadness, euphoria, and alcohol are bad gambling buddies. Unless your head is clear, you will not be able to properly enjoy betting on sports. They invoke the devil-may-care attitude, which could result in regret later on.

There you have it, a few tips to make sure that you bet on sports responsibly and safely. With this in mind, you can follow the World Cup, the next Olympics, UFC and other events with a personal stake, to make things more interesting. A friendly sports wager is still one of the finer forms of entertainment today, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t partake in it. We only urge you to be careful. Now, get out there and have some fun!