All that top soccer, those exciting Formula 1 races and those tennis matches that keep you on the edge of your seat automatically lure you to a bookmaker. That’s the place to be if you want to bet on sports! While your mind is already occupied with the first bet, you are reminded of the facts. This is because the bookmaker asks you to think about your betting limits. The deposit limit, session limit, balance limit and loss limit … do you already know your personal limits?
It’s all about the one factor: control
The selection at bookmakers is huge. It doesn’t matter if you create an account at Dutch bookmakers such as BetCity, Unibet or Bet365. At all online betting shops you will find the finest sports betting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Of course, there is also a danger in this. Precisely because there are no opening and closing times, it might be tempting to grab a bet just before bedtime. And while you’re at it, you can’t help but wander around the sportsbook a bit longer. Before you know it, it’s half an hour later and the adrenaline is rushing through your body. Now try to fall asleep peacefully….
It is very easy to lose control when betting at a bookmaker. You forget the time and in the meantime you bet more money than you actually intended. After all, you really want to recoup those lost bets. So should you give up betting on sports? Certainly not! It’s just a matter of seriously looking at your limits before betting. That way you always keep the reins firmly in your hands, no matter what.
The deposit limit protects you from excitement and frustration
The Klassieker between Ajax and Feyenoord is coming up and you are almost certain who will win this year’s game. After one glance at your balance, it is immediately clear that you still have something to sort out before you can pass that prediction on to the bookmaker. Your playing balance is too low, so it’s high time to deposit money.
Most bettors have a fixed deposit amount in their heads. It can be 10 euros, but also, for example, 50 or 500 euros. It just depends on what suits your ambitions and gambling budget! Only… what do you do if you have lost the entire deposit amount from this morning and you spot a nice bet again? Chances are you’ll deposit 50 euros into your account again so you can just keep playing. But that means today you’ve already deposited double the amount you actually have in your head.
With the personal deposit limits that bookmakers in the Netherlands are obliged to offer to their players, this is no longer possible. You enter the maximum deposit per day, week or month and you can never exceed that limit. Handy, because that way you keep control when you lose bet after bet and frustration mounts. You also can’t increase your deposit limit on a whim. If you request an increase through customer service, there is always a period of time between your request and your new limit becoming valid.
The session limit keeps you from losing track of time
With all these online bookmakers, a sports bet is always close at hand. Just grab your phone and an entire world of sports events and corresponding betting options unfolds. That very approachability means you might spend more time at the bookmaker than you realize. Setting a session limit is then a smart solution.
In the days when TOTO still had exclusive rights to sports betting, bettors could be logged in 24 hours a day. Even if you were actively looking for new bets from early morning until late at night, nobody cared. Nowadays, most bookmakers have their maximum session limit set at 8 hours a day, but that’s still a lot. By setting a personal session limit, you can limit the daily playing time to 1 or 2 hours, for example. If the time is over then you are automatically logged out and can no longer bet. By the way, this is the total playing time per day. With 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening you just stay within that 1 hour limit.
By the way, there are bookmakers that even allow you to block the sportsbook at certain times of the day. At Unibet, for example, you can specify that you don’t want to gamble after 8 pm. As soon as it is time, the sportsbook is locked for you.
Even more control with setting a balance and loss limit
You think about your maximum deposit and maximum play time. But there are other limits that require your attention. For example, it’s wise to also think about your balance and loss limits.
The balance limit is the maximum amount allowed in your wallet before it is paid out. If you reach this limit, the bookmaker will automatically transfer the money to you. This may seem unimportant, but make no mistake. After all, the more money there is in your account, the more tempting it is to throw up your bet. If the balance limit allows you to get paid out on time, it is much easier to keep betting in a controlled manner.
Opposite that balance limit is another type of limit: the loss limit. This determines your maximum loss per day, week or month. Have you already lost your weekly maximum of 100 euros on Thursday? In day case betting stops for a while, because you have to wait until the new week before you can bet money again. A (forced) break is often the best medicine against big losses.
Tailor-made limits for everyone betting at a bookmaker
Limits are not new in the world of sports betting. There have always been limits, but they focused purely on bookmakers’ own requirements. For example, online betting shops have long worked with minimum/maximum limits in terms of deposits and payouts.
Those general limits are the same for everyone. And precisely that is a problem, since one player is not the other. A maximum deposit of 15,000 euros might feel like a real limit to the professional sports bettor. For a recreational gambler who bets 50 euros a week at most, this amount is far out of reach anyway. So there is no such thing as a protective limit.
Everything changed when the Dutch gambling market opened in 2021 and the new Kansspelwet went into effect. Since then, the Dutch Gaming Authority expects bookmakers to present their players with a list of personal limits. Custom-made limits, in other words, that are different for everyone. Then it is up to each player (you!) to set their own limits.
Thinking about playing limits starts with your registration
You’re out: you want to create an account at a bookmaker so you can make money with your sports knowledge. From that moment on, your head is all about all those bets online. Chances are that you forget to think about limits by yourself. Fortunately, the onus is not 100% on you either. As soon as you create an account, the bookmaker will guide you through the list of personal limits. So there’s no forgetting!
Of course, you are not obliged to reduce the maximum deposit of 15,000 euros to a much lower amount. And you don’t have to turn down that fixed session limit of 8 hours per day, either. You make your own choices, so you can choose to quickly pass the list of personal limits. But if you are wise, you will still take some time during the registration process to think about your play limits calmly.
By the way, the limits you set are not final. You can always adjust them at a later time if you need to. That’s good news, because you may find that your deposit or session limits are higher or lower than they should be.
What limits suit you?
With limits, the one question always comes up: how high should the playing limits be to get started as responsibly as possible? Of course, it would be helpful if this question provided a clear answer. Unfortunately, that is impossible, since every player is different. The main thing is to look carefully and critically at your own situation.
When you set the limits, first look at your goal. Do you want to take betting at a bookmaker seriously or is it just a fun pastime? In the latter case, your limits will undoubtedly be a lot lower than if you have professional ambitions. Your financial status is also important for your playing limits. Your gambling budget should never lead to money problems, so adjust your deposit limit, loss limit and balance limit accordingly. An online budget calculator will give you the insight you need.
The maximum session limit is mainly something you find out while gambling. You may find that you easily lose track of time once you are betting. If so, it is still wise to turn the maximum play time down a few hours. Of course, this applies more to recreational gamblers than to people who bet on a professional level at a bookmaker.
