Just lost a bet? What to do in the next ten minutes

Start here: The loss just landed. Give it ten minutes.

The loss just landed. Your thumb is already looking for the next one. The voice is clear: a small loss, I can win it back, once I break even I will stop. This is the moment many people describe as the one where a small loss snowballs. You do not have to fix it in the next ten minutes. You only have to not make it bigger.

If you feel unsafe or are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 now (in Canada, 9-8-8). If you are in danger, call your local emergency number. The full list of lines by country is at the bottom of this page.

The next ten minutes

1. Close the app. Not log out, not check the next game. Close it, and put the phone face down.
2. Say what just happened. "I lost a bet. I want to win it back. That is the urge talking."
3. Set a ten minute timer. Do not deposit, do not place anything until it goes off. How long a gambling urge lasts explains why the wait helps.
4. Get up and move. Different room, glass of water, outside for a minute.
5. Text one person. "Just lost a bet and I want to chase it. Can you talk for five minutes?" If there is no one, in the US, 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) takes calls and texts, 24/7.

Why does winning it back feel so certain?

Right after a loss, the next bet feels like a plan rather than a bet. "The next one will hit." "I am due." It is the same pull every time, and it tends to be loudest straight after a loss, late at night, or when money is already tight. Chasing losses goes into it in more depth.

After the ten minutes

• If the urge has dropped, use the calm to make the next one harder: remove your saved card from the app, and block the sites on your phone.
• If it is still loud, set another ten minutes and call or text a helpline. You can text instead of calling.
• If you already placed another bet, stop there. One more does not undo the last one. Read what to do in the next hour.

Tomorrow morning

The loss will still be there tomorrow, and so will you. The morning after has a calm order for the first hour, including when to look at your bank account.

Pause before the next bet

Hold The Bet is free with no account. Your card opens with your own reason and a 30 second pause, so the next bet after a loss has to get past a breath first.