Back to eSports Betting: Life with Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion tools play a great role in the eSports betting industry. They help vulnerable players take a cool-off period or even completely exclude themselves from betting platforms. It is important given the serious consequences (both social, mental, and physical) gambling addiction may bring. 

This is especially important nowadays when eSports betting is growing in popularity. This is a large industry that could reach US$2.5bn in 2024. Even now, about 20% of all bets at bookmakers are placed on eSports events. That is why awareness of gambling addiction and possible ways to avoid it is the main task for both regulatory bodies and responsible betting sites. 

Legally operating bookmakers offer proprietary self-exclusion programs where users can limit the time spent on sites, the sizes of their deposits, and more. Moreover, such bookies often provide links to GamCare, GamBan and other reputable platforms aimed at helping vulnerable players.

The Decision to Return to eSports Betting

Several factors can encourage people to return to eSports betting.

• Effective self-exclusion can reduce people’s tendency to engage in uncontrolled behavior. Realizing this, bettors can consider coming back to eSports wagering.
• Positive experiences (both the example of others and personal experience) can change the bettor’s point of view. 
• Responsible decision-making is also important since this approach requires weighing potential risks, excluding emotional wagering, and never placing bets under the influence of substances (drugs, alcohol, etc.). 

After a successful recovery, a bettor is ready to independently reduce the size of the bet, limit the time spent on the site, seek help at the first signs of relapse, etc.

Separately, it is worth mentioning personal reflection and readiness. During the self-exclusion period, vulnerable people can think about their actions, build a logical chain between how everything started and the current situation, and generally reflect on their behavior.

How To Reenter the eSports Betting 

A safe return to eSports betting is possible only after fully analyzing your condition and readiness. In cases where a person was not just on self-exclusion but also involved in specialized medical help, it is worth consulting with psychotherapists. 

If you are ready to return to betting, the next mandatory stage is strict compliance with responsible gambling rules. Here are some of them:

• Setting limits on the amount of the deposit;
• Limitation of time spent on the bookmaker site;
• Choose among reputable platforms, especially if British non GamStop online bookmakers are also in your search list;
• Avoiding chasing losses;
• Constant monitoring of betting expenses (using convenient applications such as Yolt, Money Dashboard, Chip, and more).

Setting limits (both time and deposit) and adhering to responsible gambling practices are among the important aspects of a conscious return to eSports betting. In this case, bettors independently agree on certain restrictions because they understand the cost of an uncontrolled game. Often, this is a reliable safeguard against the progression of addiction.

If you notice even a small manifestation of gambling addiction, you should seek help. Unfortunately, the relapse percentage of those who already suffered from gambling addiction is fairly high.

Learning from Past Mistakes

As mentioned above, self-reflection is one of the key steps to a healthy return to eSports betting. A person must independently analyze their previous path, compare potential risks and make a final decision. 

Given personal experience, it will be easier to avoid mistakes that people have already made before while enjoying the best sports betting options. This relates to neglecting the research of a reputable site that analyzes its users’ accounts, borrowing money for betting, trying to win at any cost, etc. 

Even if a person feels that they are in complete control of the situation, installing an application like Betblocker or Betfilter on their phone or PC would not be superfluous. 

The Role of Support and Resources

Currently, eSports bettors may access multiple support resources that work 24/7. Among them are helplines, counseling services, and responsible gambling organizations. Here are several examples to consider:

• Gamblers Anonymous;
• BetKnowMore;
• Samaritans;
• GamCare, and more.

Understanding all the risks, it is important not to delay asking for help, as the situation will now resolve itself and can only get more complicated over time.

Responsible eSports Betting Tips

To have only fun and pleasant emotions from eSports betting, it is necessary to perceive it as entertainment, not as a source of income. It is important to always adhere to the time and deposit limits that you set in advance. 

If you are tempted to go beyond these limits (even a little), then this is a signal to take a cool-off period and distract yourself. You need to understand how much money you can painlessly lose by betting. Always try to track and record your losses per day, week, and month. A lot of modern mobile apps can help you with it.

Moreover, they can provide personal statistics to understand your betting activity in dynamics. It is definitely worth doing research and placing only disciplined bets. This means that it is worth researching trends in specific eSports, analyzing the performance of players, exploring news about teams, and so on. It helps make the most informed decision. Also, develop a strategy, stick to it, and never let your emotions impact your decisions.

Conclusion

eSports betting is a fairly large industry that is actively growing and has a multi-million audience worldwide. As with traditional betting, eSports enthusiasts can fall into the trap of gambling addiction. 

However, this does not always mean a complete refusal to indulge in betting on your favorite teams. If a person rehabilitates fully, they can follow responsible gambling rules and return to their hobby. To make it smooth, it is important to be fully aware of the previous experience, as well as understand the mistakes that should be learned from. 

For a more effective and safe return to betting on your favourite eSports events, people can use multiple apps. They may help track expenses and time spent on the site and, if necessary, block access to betting resources. Also, there are many free helplines, counseling services, and responsible gambling organizations where you can get help 24/7.