Don’t Worry NY, Online Sportsbooks Promote Responsible Betting

• Online sports betting will be a reality in New York early in the New Year
• It’s no secret that betting can become an addiction and is a major problem for hundreds of thousands of Americans
• New York sportsbooks will have measures in place to promote responsible gambling, but it’s imperative that bettors use know them and use them

Sports betting is already legal at retail locations in New York, and New York’s online betting market will be opening early in 2022. With easier access to betting comes greater risk for problem gambling. This has not been lost on legislators and regulators in the Empire State.

The major players in New York’s sports-betting arena have created the Responsible Play Partnership, a joint effort between the New York State Gaming Commission; the Office of Alcoholism, and Substance Abuse Services; and the New York Council on Problem Gambling. The purpose of the Responsible Play Partnership is to addresses “a variety of issues surrounding problem gambling, including ensuring that gaming venues comply with all rules and regulations and undertake proper outreach measures, reevaluating self-exclusion policies across the state to ensure consistency, and considering the best ways to advance New York’s long-term commitment to prevent and treat compulsive gambling.”

In turn, online sportsbooks in New York will be implementing safeguards to protect bettors against themselves. They are legally required to do so.

Some responsible gaming notes RE New York online sports betting RFA pic.twitter.com/YdqG0ZfnFr

— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) July 9, 2021

For the most part, however, bettors themselves need to be aware of these measures and take the initiative to implement them.

Here are some of the measures New York sports bettors can utilize at sites like FanDuel New York and DraftKings New York. While the layout varies from sportsbook to sportsbook, the “responsible gaming” section can usually be found near the bottom oft the homepage. If you are having trouble locating any sportsbook’s responsible-gaming safeguards, contact customer service.

Loss/Deposit Limits

Loss limits and deposit limits are a sure-fire way to ensure you do not lose more than you can afford. All bettors can set these limits for themselves in their sportsbook’s “responsible gaming” section.

The first step, before you even start betting, is to figure out how much you can afford to lose (or how much you are comfortable losing) in a given period of time. Then set your limit accordingly.

Generally, these limits can be adjusted, but not immediately. If you decide you would like to increase your loss or deposit limit, you will usually have to wait at least 24 hours for the change to take effect.

Time Limits

One of the easiest ways to lose a lot of money very quickly is to go “on tilt”. It’s a phrase that comes from the poker world but is equally applicable to sports betting. Usually after a bettor suffers a heartbreaking loss, going “on tilt” basically means making large bets without much thought in an effort to win back money you think you just lost.

Setting time limits on your betting sessions can guard against this to some extent.

It’s also no secret that the human mind works better when it’s rested. If you’re in the 12th hour of a session at your sportsbooks, there’s a good chance you aren’t thinking things through as clearly as you were in the first hour.

Reality Checks

Even if you don’t want to impose loss or deposit limits on yourself, you can set up “reality checks” for every 30 or so minutes. A “reality check” generally involves a pop-up window that displays the time and  money spent during your current session at the sportsbook.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” the saying goes. And this is a great way to ensure you stay grounded while you’re betting.

.@FanDuel Group announced today that it has named @WFAN660 sports radio personality and problem gambling advocate @craigcartonlive as its first national responsible gaming ambassador #NewYork #sportsradio #sportsbetting #responsible

— Lou Monaco (@loumonaco) September 23, 2021

Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion is generally the last resort for bettors who feel they have a problem that they cannot adequately control themselves going forward. Self exclusion is extreme measure, but also an extremely important part of responsible gambling.

If you decide to self-exclude yourself from a sportsbook, you will set a duration for the self-exclusion and will not be able, under any circumstances, to undo it. Standard self-exclusion periods are six months, one year, five years, and permanent.

If you are a gambling addict with the foresight to self-exclude from a certain sportsbook, it is imperative that you seek additional help. The urge to gamble is prone to reappear and there are almost always other avenues to satisfy that urge other than the sportsbook from which you have excluded yourself. Gamblers Anonymous is a great place to start addressing the bigger picture.