Hidden somewhere in every sportsbook interface is a way to limit your betting activity.
Books give you a number of options:
- Deposit maximums. You won't be able to deposit more than your set amount.
- Time limits. You can restrict how much time you spend per day on a sportsbook app.
- Betting limits. You can't wager more than your limit in a certain day, week or month, depending on how you set it.
The problem is that these limits are easily reversed and circumvented. You just need to go back into your settings and turn them off. FanDuel does wait three days if you want to increase your limits. DraftKings and Barstool make you wait one day for daily limits, and one month for monthly limits.
The only truly binding feature is the "timeout" or "cool-off" period, which allows you to lock your account for anywhere from 1-365 days depending on the sportsbook — that means no deposits or bets. Your account will unlock when that time is up.
There's also the option to self-exclude — this is most effective way to ban yourself from betting, as it puts you on a "no-fly" type list at the state level that's distributed to all sportsbooks and online casinos.
Here's how to access these features. We'll use FanDuel as an example.
1. Head to Your Account Settings
Somewhere in your account settings, there will be language like:
- Responsible Gambling
- Patron Protection Center
- Set Your Limits
On FanDuel, it just says "Responsible Gambling." Click that.
2. Explore Your Options
Sportsbooks all offer a variety of ways to control how much you're spending and betting.
Deposit Limits
This puts a limit on how much you can actually put into your account.
Wager Limits
This prevents you from wagering more in a given day, week or month than you're comfortable with.
Max Wager Size Limit
This caps how much you can put on a single wager.
Time Limits
At FanDuel, you can limit yourself to one hour of activity per day. Who is using the FanDuel app that often, though?
3. Set Your Limits
OK, now it's time to figure out how you want to limit yourself.
To me, deposit limits are the best way. You can only wager what you have in your account. Plus, bettors are much more likely to continue betting at sportsbooks they have money.
So what's the purpose of restricting your time limit or max wager size when you can continue depositing and betting? In fact, a time limit may force you to make even more rash decisions when betting.
As I covered above, it's far too easy to change these limits at some sportsbooks, so if you truly want to prevent yourself from wagering, you should set a monthly limit, as it will take a full month to change.
