Ross Sewley

In betting, just as in life, it’s important to know your limits.

That’s one of the reasons why, like the regulated industry as a whole, Flutter and all of its brands fully support the recently announced Gambling Review, particularly its focus on safer gambling. It presents a once in a generation opportunity to look comprehensively at how we can better protect those at risk of experiencing gambling-related harm, while allowing those who enjoy it safely to continue to do so.

Encouraging people to set deposit limits is only one of the ways in which we can do that, but I believe it’s a vitally important one.

At Sky Bet, we firmly believe that betting is a way of enhancing someone’s enjoyment of sport – but only if it’s done safely. That’s why I’m delighted that more than half a million of our customers set deposit limits, helping them to stay in control of their betting.

However, there’s a risk that setting deposit limits can be seen as something that other customers do, rather than a natural part of the betting experience. So that’s why we are encouraging everyone who likes a flutter – not just those who do so with Sky Bet – to think about it.

We have had success in the past in using a marketing campaign to promote safer gambling, with our ‘Three Simple Tools’ ads driving a 10 per cent increase in the use of deposit limits, an 89 per cent increase in the use of cool-off periods, and leading to 83 per cent of customers using the profit and loss tool. .

That’s why our latest campaign isn’t just aimed at our own customers. Put simply, we want everyone placing a bet online to make sure they know and keep to their limits. As Jeff Stelling says: “All good bookmakers have deposit limits, so whoever you bet with, set an appropriate one and enjoy the sport.”

And the key word there is ‘appropriate’. Bettors should work out how much they want to spend and then set their limit accordingly - we want deposit limits to be a normal part of placing a bet.

We don’t want to spoil the enjoyment of those who like to put on a bet as part of the experience of watching sport, quite the opposite. By deciding in advance how much you want to bet – and setting a limit – you remove any worry about going over your budget.

So, whoever you bet with in the regulated sector, make sure you set a deposit limit and stay in control.

Ross Sewley is Head of Brand and Creative at Sky Betting and Gaming