I will admit, I was caught slightly off-guard when my phone informed me a few weeks back that I had spent 12 hours and 13 minutes looking at the Underdog app in the week leading up to the NFL wild card round. I'm quite confident the 12 hours is a personal record for viewing any one single app.
This does, however, kind of track, as I drafted 172 teams, mostly $5 a pop into their “Mitten” best ball playoff contests.
Let me say this: There is little in this world that gives me more joy than drafting best ball fantasy teams or building daily fantasy lineups. To immediately clear the air, here is a list of items that do give me more joy: time spent with wife, time spent with children, time spent with friends.'
But uh … sometimes, not. Sometimes I'd rather spend time picking players for my various fantasy forays. Maybe it's midday, maybe it's midnight, maybe it's … after the kids eat breakfast, but before I take them to school. And after bath, but before bed. And a few “I'll be right down!” moments thrown in for good measure with my wife, as I'm in the middle of this thing and … I need a minute!!!
When it comes to betting on sports, it's fantasy for me. I absolutely love it. It's a hobby, and – I know, I know, everyone says so – but it's been a profitable one for me. Those playoff best ball teams? About 1.5% of my bankroll, which I keep meticulous-ish notes on. What I mean is I know how much money I've made gambling since I started playing DFS seriously in 2014.
And while I've loved every minute of it, I suppose I do sometimes wonder how many minutes of it I've given. I mean, if I spent 12 hours last week on Underdog … maybe best not to think about it.
Here's the deal: I never have bet – and don't plan on betting – over my head. I keep tabs on what goes in and what comes out. And while I've probably put DFS and other fantasy momentarily ahead of my family life, and while I'm notorious for checking my phone on Sunday afternoons in the fall, I'm not a “watch sports” guy, so I'm usually present and accounted for whenever need be.
During an NFL week, I'll probably have that same 1.5% of my bankroll rolling around the DFS waters and NFL betting waters, and, to be clear, I also gamble on NBA and MLB religiously, and just about everything else on the DraftKings menu … well, secularly. I figure that 1.5% of bankroll holds for my weekly MLB and NBA action.
Am I addicted to DFS and fantasy? Well … I don't want to stop doing it. I legitimately would not move to a state where I couldn't play.
So.
Do I have a gambling problem? That's really the point of this exercise. And if I don't, what should I be looking out for in the future? What questions do I need to ask myself?
Harm is subjective
Hi Jeff,
When I tell people I work to prevent gambling problems, many people who gamble get kind of sheepish. I think they fear they are going to be shamed or judged. And while it is true that our work often focuses on the downside, one of the things that reassures me is that most people who gamble are able to do so without harm.
So I'm not here to judge you. My point of view is not as a counselor or psychiatrist, a recovering gambler, or a sportsbook operator. I've listened and learned from all of them over the almost 30 years I've spent working on gambling issues.
Harm is also a pretty subjective concept, and certainly it is specific to each individual. Are you harmed by losing a $5 bet? Well, you lost money, but it is likely money you can afford and something most people probably wouldn't think twice about.
Rather than start with any warning signs of problems, let's flip the script and talk about protective factors. There are things like establishing a bankroll and staying within that limit. Here we see that modern gambling apps make keeping tabs on your gambling easier than ever (though they certainly also bring additional risk factors). That you were mindful of the amount of time spent is a good sign. The opportunity is there for people who gamble to actively, consciously build up protective factors.
Keep asking questions, and use the data to try and find if there are any other warning signs (or leakage) in your gambling patterns. For example, do you often bet more or lose more on certain sports or at particular times? Does alcohol consumption have an effect?'
Mo’ profit, mo’ problems?
Hi Keith,
To your points near the end, I definitely will find myself chasing DFS losses, especially in football. I lose Sunday, I'll probably go a little heavier Sunday night, things like that.
And yeah, I have noticed I get a little looser with entering contests if I've had a few drinks.
But the one question that nags at me is this: Where would I be if I wasn't profitable? I built a good bankroll, mostly based on three big wins. If I didn't have the bankroll – in short, if I were losing – where would I be?
I'd like to think I'd be OK, but that's a guess. I hope I never have to find out.
My other big question: If I wasn't playing DFS, would I be a better spouse/parent? It does suck up a lot of my free time, and I definitely will find myself wondering about DFS lineups during non-DFS times.
If I were a pro gambler, if this was my livelihood, I could chalk it up to just that: This is my job. But for me, and many others, this is just a hobby, one that is, sometimes, all-encompassing.
Is that, in and of itself, a marker of a gambling disorder — that oftentimes my DFS play will take precedence over my family life?
Time is not on my side
Hey Jeff,
I hear this a lot from gamblers and the general public, some variation on “it’s only a problem if you lose,” which makes sense on some levels but also is something to explore further. Almost all gamblers will lose over time since the odds are against them, but most gamblers also never have a problem. If you are indeed in the black, that is great. It sounds like you have good bankroll management and realistic expectations, hallmarks of a low-risk approach to gambling.
