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What Limits Have iGaming Platforms Been Using and How Do They Help Players?

Limits are one of the most helpful responsible gambling tools on the market, helping to ensure players remain safe when playing online. There are a few different types available, including loss, deposit, and time limits.

In addition to limits, there are a few further responsible gambling tools to be aware of. These include breaks, reminders, self-exclusion, and blocking ads. Whether it’s preventing overspending or lengthy gambling sessions, each tool has different benefits that we’ll be exploring in this article.

What are the Different Types of Limits and What are Their Benefits?

Operators offer four main types of limits to players. These are:

• Loss limits
• Deposit limits
• Spend limits
• Time limits

Let’s find out about them in more detail.

Loss Limits

Loss limits allow players to set a maximum value they would be comfortable losing when gambling. Players are able to customise loss limits, setting their own value and period of time. For example, a loss of £2 a day or £10 a week.

When it comes to setting them, it’s possible to place blanket loss limits that apply across all games on a provider or those that are specific to a game. To determine their limit, players should consider how much they would be able to lose without harming their financial well-being.

Loss limits are great tools to prevent high-risk gambling behaviours, such as overspending or chasing losses.¹ When players hit their limit, they’re automatically prevented from continuing playing, which ensures they remain in control of their spending.

It’s simple to set up loss limits by following these steps on a provider’s platform

1. Head to the account page or the casino’s responsible gambling page.
2. Select a time period for the loss limit, e.g. one week.
3. Set an amount for the loss limit—players should carefully consider how much they can afford to lose!
4. On some sites, the limit might be in place straight away, on others, it can take up to 24 hours.
5. Begin playing with the limit in place.

Deposit Limits

According to studies by the UK Gambling Commission, deposit limits are the most popular form of limits available. When recording the responses of 2,007 gamblers, 19% of respondents said that deposit limits were their go to, which was 5% above the next option, spend limits.²

Deposit limits prevent a user from spending or staking over their specified amount in a set period of time. For example, £25 a month. When a player hits their limit, they won’t be able to deposit any further funds.

These limits are popular because they’re very customisable—allowing players to set a limit they can afford over the time they want. Deposit limits can help prevent high-risk behaviour, like overspending or chasing losses.

There’s a couple of terms players may hear in reference to deposit limits—net deposit limit and gross deposit limit.³ Here’s a quick definition of what each means

• Net deposit limit—the amount of a player’s deposit that remains after they’ve deposited or withdrawn. For example, if they’ve set a limit of £10 and deposited £5, they’ll have a net limit of £5.
• Gross deposit limit—the player’s total limit, independent of any deposited or withdrawn amount.

Spend Limits

It can be easy to get spend and deposit limits confused, but they aren’t the same! The main difference is that spend limits control spending of all money, rather than just deposits. If a player already has money in their account, this is subject to spend limits, rather than just the deposit.

Similar to the other limits, it’s possible to tailor spend limits depending on how much you can afford. For example, it’s possible to set a limit of £10 a week to prevent any spending over this.

If players set a limit of £10, but already have more than this in their account, they won’t lose it. Instead, the money will remain on their account and they’ll be able to access it when their set time is up.

Time Limits

Time limits are exactly what they sound like. They allow players to control how long they spend on a site. They can also be personalised depending on how much time they’re comfortable spending on a provider, and over what length of time.

They’re a great tool for preventing players from developing high-risk behaviour, like chasing losses. Time limits prevent players from spending too long at a provider or letting gambling impact their daily life and routines.

It’s a good idea to use time limits in combination with other responsible gambling tools, like reality checks and breaks. Reality checks appear to ensure players want to continue at a site, and prompt them to take time away from gambling. It’s possible to set them for personalised times, such as every half hour.

Another good tool to use in conjunction with time limits is breaks. Breaks are short periods when players are prevented from using a site, allowing them to monitor how long they spend gambling. Many players set time limits and take a break when they reach them.⁴

What are the Other Types of Responsible Gambling Tools?

Responsible gambling tools don’t just include limits. There are plenty of other tools to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the other options on offer.

Stop Seeing Gambling Advertising

In multiple studies, including one that surveyed 318 bettors, it was found that higher exposure to gambling ads resulted in greater frequency, expenditure, and high-risk behaviour.⁵

To avoid seeing gambling ads, players can change their advertisement preferences.

Here are some ways users can control the ads they see on some of the most popular online platforms

Google

1. Through their Google account, head to the ‘My Ad Center’.
2. Here, they can alter preferences and silence topics they don’t want to see.
3. It’s also possible to add gambling content to sensitive topics to see fewer ads.

Twitter

1. Users can monitor and alter keywords through their account.
2. Here, they can mute or block certain words appearing in their feed.
3. It’s also a good idea to block gambling-related accounts.

Facebook and Instagram

1. If they see a gambling-related ad, users should select the three dots in the corner.
2. Click on the ‘hide ad’ section.
3. Also, select ‘Why am I seeing this ad?’ to hide all ads from the poster’s account.
4. Users can alter their overall preferences under their account centre.

Self-exclusion

For players who recognise they are displaying high-risk behaviour when gambling, self-exclusion is a great tool. It’s similar to breaks, but it is usually over a longer period, with a minimum of six months.⁶

Self-excluding will prevent players from being able to access and gamble at a provider until their set time is up. It will also stop them from being contacted or seeing ads from this provider.

If a player would rather be excluded from gambling providers in general, they can use tools like GAMSTOP and GamBan.⁷ These tools exclude players from all the licensed providers within the UK. When registered, users won’t be able to use any of the gambling apps or websites associated with these providers for their chosen period.

Overall, What Responsible Gambling Tools Should Players Use?

iGaming platforms provide a range of tools to help players gamble responsibly, with limits being one of these. Loss, deposit, spend, and time limits are great options that all players should make the most of to ensure they’re staying safe when gambling. They’re common across providers, easy to use, and helpful tools for preventing high-risk behaviour from developing, such as overspending.

Limits aren’t the only responsible gambling tools on offer, though. It’s important to make use of a range of tools, such as breaks, reminders, self-exclusions, and limiting gambling-related ads. Overall, responsible gambling tools, such as limits, are vital for staying safe when gambling online.

¹How loss limits can actually help you win more, Written by Giuseppe Faraone, Published by CasinoTopsOnline.

²Key Findings- Financial Limits, Written by the UK Gambling Commission, Published by the UK Gambling Commission.

³Exploring Consumer Journeys Using Deposit Limits, Written by the UK Gambling Commission, Published by the UK Gambling Commission.

⁴Take Action-Set Your Limits, Written by Safer Gambling Week, Published by Safer Gambling Week.

⁵The Impact of Exposure to Wagering Advertisements and Inducements on Intended and Actual Betting Expenditure: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study, Written by Matthew Browne, Nerilee Hing, Alex M T Rusell, Anna Thomas and Rebecca Jenkinson, Published by National Library of Medicine.

⁶Take Action-Self Exclude from Gambling, Written by Safer Gambling Week UK, Published by Safer Gambling Week UK.

⁷TalkBanStop, Written by TalkBanStop, Published by GamStop.