Stop gambling on your work break

A break is a short gap with nothing planned, and the phone fills it. Odds are one tap away, a bet takes seconds, and nobody sees it. The aim here is to give the break a different shape before the urge arrives.

Before the break starts

1. Decide what the break is for. Pick one thing: food, air, a walk, a call to someone. A break with a purpose leaves less room for a bet.
2. Move the apps out of reach. Take betting apps off the home screen, log out, or block the sites on iPhone or on Android.
3. Leave the phone at your desk. Walk out without it for the first few minutes. An urge often rises and then eases when you give it a few minutes and nothing to act on.

When the urge shows up mid shift

1. Name it. Say to yourself, "This is the urge, not a plan." Then put the phone face down.
2. Change rooms or stand up. A short walk, a drink of water, a message to someone you trust. See what to do when the urge is right now.
3. Write the bet down instead. Put it in your notes and decide after work. Many bets look different once the break is over.

After work

1. Look at the pattern. If breaks are the usual time, plan the next one in advance. Boredom is often behind it, so gambling out of boredom may help.

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.