How to stop betting on fight nights

A fight night is a long event with many small decisions. There is a bet to be made before each bout, and between bouts there is time and a phone in your hand. That is why it can feel hard to hold off.

You can plan for it. Most of the work happens before the first bout.

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.

Before the night

1. Decide the plan while it is calm. Write one line: "Tonight I am watching, not betting." Put it where you will see it.
2. Make the bet harder to place. Log out of the betting apps. Remove saved cards. Turn off notifications and promos: how to get fewer betting ads and promo texts.
3. Block the sites. On iPhone or Android. Give the passcode to someone else if you can.
4. Pick who you are watching with. Someone who knows the plan is better than no one. If the plan is private, that is fine too.
5. Plan what you do between bouts. Food, a drink that is not alcohol, a walk to the door. See betting after drinking.

During the card

• The gaps are the risk. The time between bouts is when the urge shows up. Put the phone down in another room and use the gap to get up.
• Watch the odds talk. Commentators and broadcasts show betting lines. Mute that part or switch to a feed without it if you can.
• Do not bet on the next one. A bout going the way you expected, or the other way, can feel like a reason to bet. It is the same urge. See urge to bet after a win, and chasing losses.
• Skip the live bets. In-play markets move fast and ask for fast decisions. How to stop live betting during the game.

If the urge is loud right now

Close the app without tapping anything, put the phone face down, and start a ten minute timer. The next ten minutes has the steps. Text one person: "Rough moment. Can you talk for five minutes?"

If you want a person at the other end, you can text a helpline instead of calling.

If you already bet

Stop there. Do not place another one to get it back. Read what to do after a slip.

Other nights

The same plan works for any big event with a long run time. See also Sunday football, Saturday college football and NBA and NHL nights.

Pause before the next bet

Hold The Bet is free with no account. It shows your own number and reason and holds a 30 second pause before you bet. Set it up before the card starts.