Is a game as good with no money on it?
Three quick questions about betting and the game. No right answers. We're asking because nobody asks.
One tap adds one to a count. No name, nothing tied to you.
The betting ads during games. How do they sit with you?
Do the apps make it too easy to bet?
That's it. Thanks for weighing in.
people have answered so far.
You're one of the first to answer. Thanks.
Notice the moments betting is taking away from you.
Knowing the game feels like an edge.
You know the rosters. You've watched this league your whole life. Sportsbooks count on that, because a bet feels safer when you know your stuff. The catch is the price. The book sets it and builds in its own profit. Your read on the game doesn't change that.
The apps are built to keep you betting.
Live odds, push alerts and same-game parlays exist to get a bet down mid-game, while the adrenaline is up. Among young men who bet on sports, 77% see betting ads every week.1 If it feels like the pressure never lets up, that's the business model.
Try a week without a bet.
Some people take a break and barely notice. When a week off sounds hard, it's worth a closer look. The check-in below gives you a straight read. Nobody else sees it.
Want to see where you stand? Nine questions, about two minutes. Those answers stay on your phone.
Check in with your betting
Nine questions about the past 12 months, and about two minutes to get through them. This is the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the standard screening tool used across Canada. It gives you a private read on where you stand.
Your answers never leave this page. We can't see them and neither can anyone else.
Thinking about the past 12 months…
Nothing you answered was kept. This result is yours alone and it disappears when you leave the page.
This check-in is based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (Ferris and Wynne, 2001), the standard screening measure used across Canada. A higher score means higher risk. It is not a diagnosis. For medical advice, talk to your doctor or your local mental health and addictions services.
1. Kim, A., et al. (2026). Sports betting harm in young men: The impact of advertising. Alberta Gambling Research Institute and Canadian Institutes of Health Research, with Toronto Metropolitan University. Survey of 1,800+ sports bettors in Ontario and Alberta.