The majority of UK banks have seriously increased their efforts to keep their customers safe from dangerous gambling practices in recent years. While most players are able to start and stop placing bets whenever they feel like it, a small percentage of users develop compulsive tendencies. This is why it’s important that banks protect customers from these habits before things spiral out of control.
In recent times, the UK government has stepped up its effort to dissuade harmful gambling practices. In 2019, the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals – blamed by many for a spike in problem gaming – was reduced drastically from £100 to £2. This was followed up a year later when the use of credit cards for online gambling transactions was outlawed in April.
The UKGC is not done yet either. They have also expressed a desire to regulate gambling advertisements more closely. This could spell the end of gambling companies’ involvement in football and other sports as well as the outlawing of odds boosting, free picks in-play bet offer adverts during televised sporting events.
Although the UK Gambling Commission has historically been the main source of keeping gamblers safe, banks have seriously stepped up their efforts in recent years. Here are some of the measures they have introduced.
Gambling Block
One of the most common methods that banks used to prevent problem gambling is a Gambling Block. As the name suggests, when a user sets up one of these, their banking provider will automatically decline any transactions used to fund your betting account. Many of the traditional banks offer this feature including, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds, Halifax, MBNA, HSBC, Monzo, Starling, Natwest, Santander and many more.
Many of these banks allow the gambling block to be turned on and off via their mobile apps. You can also normally choose how long you want the block to be enabled so you are not tempted into using a betting site.
Other Features banks offer to keep its customers safe
As well as Gambling Blocks, many banks offer additional support to customers who believe they may have a gambling problem. For instance, Ulster Bank offers a self-assessment service which can help players discover the impact that their gambling is having on their lives both financially and mentally. Other banks offer similar service and you will be hard pressed to find a banking provider that does not have a gambling support page on their website in 2020.
Some banks also track your gambling spending for you. The thinking behind this is that seeing just how much they are spending every month on their problematic gaming could be enough to convince people to curb their habit.
Recently Natwest also introduced a 48 hour gambling cool off period. This ingenious feature allows NatWest customers to trigger a two day ban of all gambling transactions if they feel they are slipping into problematic habits. NatWest claims that this feature will allow their users to Take Back Control of their finances and it has been praised by GambleAware as a great concept.
Ah, yes, the Super Bowl futures bet — a favorite in every NFL bettors arsenal. This bet draws gambling action as soon as one Super Bowl ends and up until the next one starts.
Yet, most of the money wagered on NFL Super Bowl futures ends up becoming a “charitable donation” to the sportsbook aka a loser. While fun, accurately picking the one team among a group of 32 that will raise the Vince Lombardi trophy isn’t exactly easy.
But get this, gambling on Super Bowl odds can actually be BOTH fun and profitable. It’s the latter that we want to focus on. Before you plop money down on the next NFL champion, you need to make sure the team at least checks two or three of these next four boxes. If they don’t, save your hard-earned money!
Team Must Have An Upper Echelon Quarterback
Without question, this one is THE rule to follow. Recent history all but proves it.
Since the turn of the century, only these quarterbacks have led teams to a Super Bowl victory — Trent Dilfer, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, and Patrick Mahomes. That’s mostly an elite bunch.
We know what you’re thinking, but what about Dilfer, Flacco, or Foles? They’re not elite, right? Correct, but there’s explanations. Dilfer will be covered in the next rule, but in the case of Flacco and Foles, they were at least playing at an elite level during that title run.
So here’s the takeaway: bet on teams with bonafide studs at quarterback — there’s only probably four of five of these per year — or signal callers that are scorching-hot going into the playoffs.
Team Has Historically-Good Component Besides Quarterbacking
Let’s call this the “Dilfer rule.” It explains why a mediocre quarterback like Dilfer can quarterback an NFL Super Bowl champion. Simply put, this team is historically good at either defense (which was the case for Dilfer) or the running game — which makes up for lackluster play under center.
The key word above is historically good. Seriously, the team must rank at least top-10 all-time in whatever non-QB strength they have. Being a league leader for the given NFL season alone doesn’t necessarily check this box.
Team Has A Proven Coach
The NFL is the ultimate team game. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. All 22 starters must do their part, as well as the back-ups who’ll likely be thrust into important game action due to the sheer amount of injuries associated with football. But it’s up to one person to integrate all these moving pieces into one fine-tuned system — the head coach.
Coaches that win at the highest level do so one a consistent basis despite injuries, star players switching teams, and heck, even them switching coaching jobs. That’s not a coincidence. Rather, it’s a sign of a general who can maximize its teams advantages and minimize its disadvantages through strategy. Gravitate toward these consistently successful coaches when betting on Vegas Super Bowl lines.
Team Should Have The Highest Playoff Seeding
Ok, this rule can only be applied once the regular season has concluded and the NFL playoff picture is set. In this scenario, financially back teams with a first-round bye.
Here’s a bonkers stat to back this rule: since the NFL instituted seeding in 1975, either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed has won 35 of 45 NFL titles — or 77 percent of the time. The lesson here? The best regular-season teams usually win the Super Bowl.
But in case you forgot, the 2021 NFL playoffs will be the first to feature 14 postseason teams instead of the usual 12. As part of the change, only the number-one seed will earn an opening-round bye. This rule update could have a huge effect, so to be safe, stick with top-seeded teams.
And that’s your betting on Super Bowl futures checklist. Like we said before, a team doesn’t need to meet every single requirement — that would mean the team is probably an all-timer. However, checking off two is the bare minimum and three should signal to “load the boat” when betting.
The unpredictable flow of Daily Fantasy Sports football games each week makes this sports betting game more exciting. Compared to other types of sports bets, fantasy games like football maximizes your ability to comprehend the world of gambling games. In fact, it is the only betting game that allows you to create your reverie of the toughest football groups on earth.
As the 2020 NFL season continues to run today until the first quarter of next year, the fantasy football games offer massive prizes that you can wager and win. Every week, savvy fantasy football commissioners find the time to adjust their game rules, so bettors have higher chances of earning in all league categories they offer.
Whether you are a seasoned or newbie fantasy football bettor, your knowledge may not be enough to inch a step ahead of other fantasy players. You need consistent guidance that will serve as your backbone to strengthen your chances of winning and earning. Here are ten standard paradigms you can bring once you decide to play fantasy football tournaments.
Learn The Scoring Rules Per Bookie
Each bookie may feature the same fantasy games based on the current flow of the NFL season. However, not all of them follow the same scoring rules. Sportsbooks like Fanduel NFL DFS have broader rules. Take time to read and study the scoring guidelines as this is the main requirement for your team to attain to end up successful.
Proceed With Beginner Contests And Low Buy-Ins
When gambling in DFS football, you have to start finding beginner contests. It will allow you to limit the number of rosters you can enter per league. As such, you are also not required to wager big amounts right away. Starting with a dime can greatly help, and once you win consistently, it can boost your bankroll in no time.
Big GPP Leagues Need Huge Scores
GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) offers the biggest payout in all fantasy football games. The bookie set a price tag, and your team should land in the top ten to win the amount based on placement. The key to winning GPP games is for your team to generate the highest score. That said, you have to choose the best football players possible.
Smaller Contests Need The Right Mix Of Players
If you find a balanced approach to win smaller fantasy football contests, you have to mix the right number of players. It means that your quarterbacks can connect directly with your wide receivers, running backs, and tight end. Also, know which department your fantasy team should focus on scoring to know which player to pick.
Stack The Right Players
It’s just the same with the real NFL games; the most important players you have to deal with as part of your roster are the quarterbacks, receivers, runners, tight ends, and kickers. Remember that not all top performers can do great in fantasy games. You need to stack the right ones and ensure that they have excellent combos to balance your defense and offense department.
Defense Matters
The defense is another key player you must include in your fantasy team. Knowing that these talents are expected to defend the rival quarterback to make a touchdown, you must find less expensive defense players.
Weather, Is A Factor, Too
The weather matters to how the players can perform inside the field. Their stats can make a difference, especially in fantasy games, as it is the main criterion, to begin with. When you start drafting for players in your fantasy football line-up, check the weather conditions per match as it can be a huge factor in attaining the team and player success in a game.
Get Updated With Injury Reports
If stats can define how well the player can perform, injury reports will also determine if your initial drafts can continue working for your fantasy team or not. If a player suffers from a minor or severe injury, then they are no longer effective. Make sure to get updated with this area to easily replace your initial picks if they got hurt.
Kickers Can Depend On The Bookie
Most bookies that offer DFS football removed kickers to be part of the roster. However, few ones still sell this slot. If you enter a fantasy football contest that needs a kicker, ensure to find the least expensive one.
Keep It Fun
Aside from substantially winning when you opt to gamble for DFS football, the fun and excitement is another experience you must gain. Do not get too pressured and always go with the flow. After all, the most hardworking bettor in the room ends up the most successful one.
Takeaway
Playing and winning at DFS football is probably the biggest goal of every fantasy bettors on earth. Everyone wanted to form a team to help them bring home the most delicious bacon of the day. That said, wanting to end up a fulfilling DFS football betting game is achievable by considering the suggestions outlined above.
NCAAB Tuesday Preview & Free College Basketball Pick
Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. (ET) SEC Network
Pointspread: Texas A&M -6
Total Line: OFF
Mississippi State at Texas A&M Game Overview
The Bulldogs have won five of their last seven games straight-up with Saturday’s 79-62 romp over rival Ole Miss as 7.5-point home favorites. They have now covered against the spread in their last seven games and the total has gone OVER VietBet’s closing line in six of their last eight contests. Mississippi State is an even 7-7 SU in the SEC this season with a 9-5 record ATS. It has gone 3-5 ATS in eight previous road games. Read More…
The road to Super Bowl continues this weekend as Wild Card Weekend gets under way. This gives us a chance to look at the last three remaining games after already taking a deeper look at the Kansas City Chiefs/Houston Texans matchup.
The second of the contests on Saturday gets underway at 8:15pm ET on Saturday Night as the Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Cincinnati to face off against the Bengals in an AFC North battle. The Steelers despite needing a New York Jets loss to land the final wild card spot opened up as a 2.5 point favorite.
On Sunday the action gets underway at 1:05 PM Et as the red hot Seattle Seahawks travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Much like the Steelers, the Seahawks enter this game as the favorite despite having to go on the road to open up the playoffs. The second NFC wild card matchup the Green Bay Packers will travel to the Nations Capital to take on the Washington Redskins. After opening up as a pickem the Packers have slowly seen themselves become the favorite in this matchup with some sites having them as a 1.5 point favorite.11 Read More…
The countdown to the NCAA Football Championship game continues as Monday approaches. This years CFP Championship game will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Arizona as the second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the number one ranked team the Clemson Tigers.
After failing to reach the championship game last year in the inaugural playoff, the Crimson Tide have returned for another shot to add another championship to the record book. That being said they will have an extremely difficult task standing in their was as the Tigers are 14-0 this season and is coming off an impressive win in the 37-17 win over Oklahoma in the Capital One Orange Bowl Semifinal Matchup.
For the Tide, the big test will come from their defense as they will look to slow down the Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson enters this game with 3,699 passing yards while connecting on 68 of his passes including 31 passing touchdowns. Along with his arm, Watson will also present a challenge for the Tide with his feet as he enters this game with 1,032 yards on the ground and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Last week, Watson continued the dual threat passing for 187 yards with one passing touchdown while adding 145 yards and a rushing touchdown on the ground. Along with Watson, Wayne Gallman scorched the Sooners on the ground as well with 150 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Overall the Tigers combined to rush for 312 yards two roll to the easy win.
The 2015 NFL season is in the books as Wild Card Weekend approaches. Now for many this may be a down time of the year especially for the sports bettor who likes to take advantage of as many NFL Games as possible. For others though this is the time to spend extra time putting in the research to make four solid picks to walk away with some real money.
The action gets started on Saturday January 9th, 2015 at 4:20pm ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. That is where the 9-7 Texans will welcome the 11-5 Kansas City Chiefs to town. These two teams are very similar in regards to being built around their defense.
For the Texans they are led by All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt while the Chiefs have a few key players as well including Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. The big difference between these two teams comes on the offensive side of the ball and starts with the quarterback position.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs has been led by Alex Smith who started all 16 games on the year. Along with the same consistency behind center, Smith does one thing really well and that is to protect the ball while avoiding throwing a bunch of interceptions. Entering the playoffs, Smith completed 65 percent of his passes during the regular season for 3,486 yards, 20 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions.
The seven interceptions marks the fifth straight season that Smith avoided reaching double digits. This allows the Chiefs to find ways to put points on the board on nearly every possession. The same can’t be said about the Texans who have four different quarterbacks make starts this season. That list includes Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden.
Of that group, Hoyer has taking most of the play calling duties this season throwing for 2,606 yards to go with 19 touchdown passes. The positive side of the equation is that group combined threw for only 11 interception while Hoyer only threw seven of those interception. Read More…
The week is moving along as we get ready for another round of Major League Baseball games on Thursday. In all 20 teams will be in action on Thursday that features some of the games top starters including Matt Harvey for the New York Mets, Michael Wacha for the St. Louis Cardinals and Dallas Keuchel for the Houston Astros.
While we could turn our attention to a few games on Thursday we are going to focus our attention on the Cardinals matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. These two teams currently sit atop their respective divisions as the Cardinals are 33-18 atop the Central Division while the Dodgers are 30-21 atop the West Division.
This could be an early series of two teams that could possible meet during the postseason in October. Now we can take a look at this matchup a little closer on paper.
Starting pitchers: For us we would have loved to seen a Clayton Kershaw verse Michael Wacha matchup. Unfortunately, that won’t happen so we will settle for at least one of those two starters taking the mound. Wacha has been brilliant for the Cardinals this season, answering the teams question of who would replace Adam Wainwright as their ace. Read More…
The 2015 Major League Baseball season continues on Wednesday with a 16 game schedule getting underway at 1:35 pm ET. The first game to get underway is the first place Minnesota Twins taking on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. This is an interesting matchup that features the veteran Phil Hughes going up against the rookie Eduardo Rodriguez.
While that matchup has us intrigued the matchup we are set to watch is the New York Yankees taking on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Entering Wednesday’s contest the Yankees sit atop the American League East while the Mariners have struggled to play themselves into the top of the West despite being an early favorite to win the division.
Starting pitchers: The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound while the Mariners will counter him with Taijuan Walker. For Yankees fans this is an important game as Tanaka will make his first start since April 23rd. Prior to hitting the disabled list, Tanaka had pitched to a 3.22 earned run average with a 2-1 record in that stretch.
For the Mariners this is also an important contest as the organization had high hopes for Walker entering the season. Unfortuantly, Walker has struggled for most of the season pitching to a 6.18 earned run average with a 2-5 record. That being said the Mariners will be looking forward to seeing if he can build on his strong eight inning outing in his last start in which he allowed zero earned runs while striking out eight. Read More…
The Major League Baseball has all eyes on them on Friday as neither the NBA or NHL playoffs are in action. This means all eyes will be on each game taking place around the league from the double header in Baltimore starting at 1:05pm ET to the last game taking the field at 10:15pm ET as the Atlanta Braves take on the Giants out in San Francisco.
The contest we will have our eyes on is the Cleveland Indians taking on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. While we would have loved a Corey Kluber verse Felix Hernandez matchup we will settle for just one of them. Kluber will look to continue his success of late as he looks to improve his 2-5 record.
Now before you jump to the wrong conclusion Kluber has been brilliant of late and looks like the Cy Young he was last season. Over his last three outings, Kluber is 2-0 allowing just two earned runs over 25 innings. The Indians ace posted 30 strikeouts over a two game stretch including 18 against the St. Louis Cardinals back on May 13th.
As we look a little deeper into the matchup for Kluber we took a look back at which Mariners have faced him in his young career. Overall the Mariners are hitting just .200 off of him with 12 hits in 60 at bats with five doubles, one home run, three runs batted in and 16 strikeouts. Nelson Cruz has posted the best numbers off of him going four for 13 with two doubles and one home run. Other key names include Robinson Cano who has just two hits in seven at bats and Austin Jackson who has just four hits in 18 at bats. Read More…
