When it comes to sports betting, it’s important to manage your resources appropriately. After all, it’s your own hard-earned money that’s at stake.
Fortunately, there are safeguards in place to help you wager responsibly. Keep reading to learn about self-exclusion and other ways to monitor and limit your wagering activity.
What is self-exclusion?
If you’ve found that your wagering has become unmanageable, it might be time to take a breather.
Self-exclusion allows players to voluntarily restrict themselves from placing wagers. This can be done for casino gambling, horse race wagering, or in Tennessee’s case: sports betting.
Do I need to self-exclude?
Reasons for self-exclusion are different for everyone. That’s why sportsbooks leave it up to players to decide when enough is enough.
Maybe you’ve become so enthralled with betting that it’s feeling less like a hobby and more like a habit. Self-exclusion can be a great way to curb these habits before they turn into a full-fledged addiction.
Perhaps you’re going through a financial hardship or are saving up money and need to cut back on expenses. Or maybe you’re simply looking for a new way to challenge your will-power and self-discipline. Putting a pause on your betting can be a surefire way to do so.
Whatever the case may be, it’s up to you to decide whether self-exclusion is right for you.
However, don’t forget that Tennessee offers various other problem gambling resources, including hotlines and support groups (more on that below).
How to self-exclude from a Tennessee sportsbook
Within each Tennessee sportsbook, you’ll find a link where you can self-exclude yourself from the platform. You can choose to exclude yourself for life, or you can opt-out for a one-year or five-year period.
Once the request is final, there are no take-backs. Self-exclusion requests cannot be reversed once in effect, so it’s important to thoroughly consider your length of exclusion.
As soon as the process is complete, you’re immediately blocked from the sportsbook for that select amount of time.
Self-exclusion from Tennessee sports betting
When you self-exclude from one book, this doesn’t always mean you’re opting out of all Tennessee sportsbooks.
Some operators, such as Caesars, offer the option of either self-excluding from that sportsbook alone or from all Tennessee sportsbooks simultaneously. But that’s not necessarily the case at all books, so it’s important to read the fine print.
Players will soon also be able to contact Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC) directly to self-exclude from Tennessee sports betting.
During the month of January 2022 alone, SWAC Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas says Tennessee sportsbooks received over 150 self-exclusion requests.
Limit your playing habits without self-excluding
For those that aren’t looking to stop betting altogether, there are other ways to limit your wagering activity.
Self-exclusion occurs anytime you opt-out for one year or longer. If you’re pausing play for less than 365 days, this is instead considered a timeout or cool-off period.
Players can also self-impose their own daily, weekly and monthly restrictions on the amount of time or money spent wagering. For instance, FanDuel’s Play Well program allows users to limit themselves according to:
- Amount wagered on an individual bet
- Amount deposited and wagered within a certain time frame
- Time spent on the app each day
DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM and Tennessee’s other sportsbooks all offer similar options.
Problem gambling resources in Tennessee
Gambling can be a fun, rewarding hobby when done responsibly. But when wagering gets out of control, your love of gambling can turn into an addiction.
Think of betting as less of a sprint and more of a marathon; as the old adage goes — slow and steady wins the race.
If you find yourself struggling to wager responsibly or know someone who is, Tennessee’s problem gambling resources are there to help.
Call or text the Tennessee REDLINE 24/7 at (800) 889-9789.
