What is a Reality Check?


reality checks

The betting industry has installed a number of different measures over the past few years to try and help those who have a problem gambling issue. This is all about being there to support people as we have never seen the industry do before, and some hugely positive and encouraging steps have been made during this period.

A reality check is one of the things that bookmakers have introduced and is designed to make sure that people are comfortable with what they are doing while they are betting. You may have seen this appear before if you use casino games or bingo platforms that bookmakers have on offer and if you place regular bets during one session on these.

Here are the key points of the reality check and how it works for users while they are gambling.

  • When the reality check comes on your screen, you will have two options. The first is to stop playing at this point, or you can dismiss the message and keep playing as normal. Often when people are gaming they forget what time it is or how long they have been playing, so this reminder gives you the chance to have a little break and re-focus, checking it you want to carry on or stop.
  • You will only see the reality check appear when you are playing games with real money stakes involved. The reality check will appear on the screen when you place a bet, so if you are playing on games for free with no monetary stakes then you will not see this message appear at all.
  • The reality check is applied per gaming session. This means it doesn’t take into account your overall betting picture, but specifically the session that you are currently playing. A session includes betting on games which are played inside the casino section of the website, bingo games or any other games section. This can be spread across all types if you are using them all in the same session. The exception to the rule is poker betting, which will be covered separately as distinct gaming, so doesn’t count as part of your session if you move to poker at any point.
  • You can set up your own rules surrounding reality checks but any changes you make to your own reality checks will take effect on your account after you have logged out and when you log back in again. It is advised to do this as soon as you make changes to your reality checks so that they can begin to work straight away rather than waiting until your next login.

The betting industry is trying to put together various different things to aid players who may feel like they need it. This is just one of many different schemes that are in place, and it is very good to see that these things are being put in front of gamblers in an attempt to stop problem gambling gripping any more people.

Why Gamblers Should Always Read The Terms And Conditions

Do Online Betting Accounts have any Fees?

Best 10 New Bookmakers

£100 SIGN UP HERE

New players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £20 | No max cash out | Wagering is 35x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded | Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included | T&C's apply

£50 SIGN UP HERE

Full T&Cs apply. New UK customers only. The qualifying bet should be either 1 Single or Accumulator (2+ selections) bet, start at £10, and have 1.9 or greater odds. 5 Free bets which must be placed with a minimum odds of 2 include: 1 x £10 Free bet on horse racing, 1 x £10 Free bet on football, 2 x 10 Free bet In-play, 1 x £10 Free bet Acca (min 3 selections). To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app (Open banking). Max payout – £500. 7 day expiry. 18+. Begambleaware.org

£25 SIGN UP HERE

T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place 3 x £10 sportsbook bets to qualify. Money back as free bets up to £25. Must use code welcome25afs when creating an account.

0 SIGN UP HERE
£20 SIGN UP HERE

New Players Only. Min £10 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of £10, min odds 1.5. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply

£111 SIGN UP HERE

#AD 18+, New customers only, min deposit £10, wagering 60x for refund bonus, max bet £5 with bonus funds. Free Spins bonus has x40 wagering. 23 free spins on registration (max withdrawal is £100). 100% refund bonus up to £111 + 77 spins on 1st deposit. No max cash out on deposit offers. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. Ecopayz, Skrill or Neteller excluded. Full T&Cs apply.

£25 SIGN UP HERE

Applies to new UK/IE customers only. Place your first bet at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater and if it loses, get a free bet equivalent to 50% of your first bet stake, to a maximum value of £25. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. Full T&Cs apply.

£10 SIGN UP HERE

T&Cs: New customers only. Max. one £10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus token with min. 4/5 (1.80) Odds req. T&CS APPLY. 18+

£20 SIGN UP HERE

New Players Only. Min £10 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of 20, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings from the free bet. Max conversion: £200. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full terms apply

£100 SIGN UP HERE

New UK/IE customers . Place your first Football bet as an Accumulator (minimum four selections) and AK Bets will boost the return by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org."