Responsible gambling (18+)

Betting is for adults only. You must be 18 or older, or older still where the law in your country sets a higher age, to place a bet. PitchMaths publishes probabilities, and probabilities include losing: even a tip the model rates at 80% is expected to lose one time in five. This page is about keeping betting in its place.

Treat it as entertainment, not income

Think of a stake as the price of watching a match with a bit more interest, the way you would pay for a ticket or a drink with friends. Money spent on a bet should be money you have already accepted you may not see again. Rent, school fees, food, transport, savings and money you have borrowed are not betting money.

Nobody beats the bookmaker reliably over the long run by following tips, ours included. Any bet can lose, and a long run of losses can happen to anyone.

Warning signs

Betting may be becoming a problem if you notice any of these:

• you stake more than you planned, or more than last time, to feel the same excitement;
• you try to win back what you lost by betting again quickly, or with bigger stakes;
• you borrow money, sell things or use money meant for bills to bet;
• you hide your betting from family or friends, or lie about how much you spend;
• you feel restless, anxious or irritable when you are not betting;
• betting takes time away from work, study, sleep or the people around you.

One sign on its own is a reason to pause and take stock. Several together are a reason to get help.

Practical limits that work

The betting app on your phone usually offers tools that make limits stick even when your mood changes. Look in the account or responsible gaming settings of the operator you use:

• Deposit limits: a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you can add to your account. Set it when you are calm, not after a loss.
• Time-outs: a break of a day, a week or longer, during which you cannot bet.
• Self-exclusion: a longer block on your account, for months or more, when you want to stop completely.
• Reality checks: reminders that show how long you have been logged in.

Habits help too. Decide your budget before the weekend starts and do not top it up. Keep stakes small and the same size, rather than raising them after a loss. Avoid betting when you are angry, tired or have been drinking. Long accumulators look tempting because of the payout, but every extra leg makes the slip less likely to land.

If you are worried about someone else

Talk to them calmly and without blame. Focus on what you have noticed, such as missing money or hours spent on the phone, rather than on the betting itself. Suggest the free support services below, and look after your own finances in the meantime.

Free, confidential support

These organisations offer help to people who gamble and to their families:

• Gambling Therapy (gamblingtherapy.org): free online support and counselling, available in many languages, including French.
• Gamblers Anonymous (gamblersanonymous.org): a fellowship of people who share their experience to help each other stop gambling, with meetings and online resources.

Talking to someone you trust, or to a doctor, is also a good first step.

How PitchMaths tries to help

We show the probability for every tip so the risk is visible, keep every loss in the public track record, and never describe a tip as certain. Our bookmaker box carries the 18+ notice and the operator's terms. The method behind the numbers is open, and about us explains how the site is funded. If you would rather take a break from betting altogether, the most useful thing you can do is close this site and use the self-exclusion tools of your betting account.