Ep. 62 - Getting Your Time Back From Daily Fantasy Sports
Lots of people play fantasy sports. It’s fun to join a season long pool with friends, pick your players, and see how it turns out.
Many people are also betting on Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). But there are some tricky dynamics with creating daily lineups that make it hard to repeat any earlier success with a friendly sports pool. For some, it gets out of balance - taking up more time, focus and money.
In episode 62 of our podcast, Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, we hear from Steve Delaney, host of the podcast Fantasy or Reality? The GPP. Steve talks about how, for him, fantasy sports shifted from being a fun outlet for his love of sports into something that was stressful, costly, secretive and all-consuming.
Tune in and hear about:
The tricky ways that daily fantasy sports can get out of hand
How to recognize signs of this in yourself and others
How DFS became a problem for Steve (twice) and what he and his wife did to address this
Steve’s reflections on the need for more information about the risks of DFS as well as help and treatment for those who need it
Listen now to episode 62 of Fold em by clicking on the green play button at the top of the blog.
If you prefer to tune in directly from Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, click on the red “Listen and Subscribe” button below.
Daily Fantasy Sports is fun. But, you need to ask yourself: Am I choosing this over other activities I used to enjoy? Is it the primary way I get stress relief?
If your answer is yes, it may be time to take a step back
Daily Fantasy Sports: It’s All Just Fun (Until it Isn’t)
In this episode of Fold em, Steve Delaney tells us that he started betting on season long leagues with his friends in 2009. He loved researching the players and checking scores as the season went along. After seeing an ad for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) in 2017 he decided to give it a try. He figured he knew a lot about sports and was pretty successful with earlier pools, so it would be fun to try daily betting. He started slow, placing one bet at a time. After having some initial wins, he says that it was easy for him to believe he had an advantage over others and could win again.
Steve tells us that DFS was fun … until it wasn’t. Facing financial pressures as he and his wife struggled to save for a house, Steve starting putting in more lineups. He says, “This is where it got tricky.” Although the losses were piling up, he would win at times. This kept him hooked in - believing that he just needed to find the right lineup to win big. Looking back, Steve says, “I didn’t realize that I was actually addicted to daily fantasy sports.”
Steve talks about why Daily Fantasy Sports can easily get out of hand.
The Trickiness of Daily Fantasy Sports:
1. IF YOU’VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH SEASON LONG POOLS, IT’S EASY TO ASSUME YOU WILL BE EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL WITH DFS:
Steve tells us that when he started playing DFS, he thought he knew all about sports. And, when he had some initial wins, it was easy to think that he could beat the next guy. But, skills and knowledge doesn’t override the randomness of sports outcomes. And, as you put in more lineups and experience more losses, stress and emotions will also impact outcomes. You may believe you can outwit the other players, but the variables of the games and your own psyche will create a losing dynamic in the long run.
2. YOU WIN SOMETIMES:
As Steve says, the real trickiness of DFS is that you win at times. This is tricky because it ends up confirming your belief that you are smart enough or can research enough to win (so you should keep at it). And, that the solution to all the problems and stresses caused by DFS is to keep at it (win your way out.). Steve also shares that even when he did win, that money would eventually go back into DFS. But, he always rationalized that next time he would keep his winnings out.
3. IT CAN BE HARD TO STOP:
As Steve started putting in more lineups to DFS (and wagering more), he also started keeping it from his wife. He convinced himself that he was trying to win a downpayment for their home, but he also knew it was risky and not right. The secrets and mounting losses all made it hard to stop because that would mean opening up to loved one. His wife eventually found out and he stopped DFS for a year, but kept playing the year long pools. Even though Steve and his wife knew about substance addiction, at that time they didn’t see DFS as an addiction. They assumed that Steve could handle it on his own and just stop. Looking back, he sees that continuing with the year long pools kept him hooked into betting and not doing other things to get his life in balance. Having easy access on his phone also made it hard to stay away. DFS eventually pulled him back in again.
Daily Fantasy Sports: Signs That You’re Getting Out of Balance
In this episode of Fold em, Steve tells us that as the losses increased, so did his stress. He was more and more desperate to win it all back so he didn’t let his wife and family know. He says that each day he struggled to stay away, but would often throw in lineups at the last minute, hoping for that big win. Keeping it from his family felt like he was waiting for a “piano to come crashing down on him” and he could barely look at himself in the mirror.
Steve’s betting did come out into the open and he’s so thankful that he and his wife were able to get help. At Gamblers Anonymous and online support groups, Steve has talked to many others who also had problems with fantasy sports.
Here’s what Steve has learned about warning signs that Daily Fantasy Sports is getting out of control:
1. GOING BEYOND THE LIMITS AND PROMISES YOU SET FOR YOURSELF
Saying that you will only wager a certain amount and going beyond this
Deciding to cut back, take a break, or stop and then breaking this (but rationalizing your decision to yourself or others)
2. NOT BEING FULLY OPEN ABOUT YOUR BETTING:
Holding back details about how much time and money is going into DFS
Talking about the wins but not fully disclosing how much your are losing or how it’s impacting your finances
3. TAKING TIME AWAY FROM PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT
Not keeping to your commitments at home, work or with friends AND/OR being only partially engaged
Taking time away from activities that are important to you, e.g. getting enough sleep, eating well, exercise
If you recognize that you or someone you care about is getting in over their head with Daily Fantasy Sports, hear more from Steve in episode 62 of Fold em. He tells us that there is a way through this. He started with listening to the personal experiences of others who had also struggled with gambling, both at Gamblers Anonymous meetings and in podcasts. He tells listeners that even though DFS might have pulled you away from how you normally life your life and your actions may have hurt others, you are not a bad person. You just got pulled in to it, like many others have.
Listen now to Steve by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog or the red Listen Now button below.
Want to Hear More From Steve About DFS?
To hear more from Steve about his experiences with Daily Fantasy Sports and his journey of staying away from it and rebuilding his life, listen to his podcast: Fantasy or Reality? The GPP. It’s available on any podcast app. You can also reach out to Steve by email at: fantasyorreality@yahoo.com
What Support is Available to Help Me or a Loved One With Gambling Concerns?
For Residents of British Columbia:
Gambling Support BC
If you live in British Columbia, you can connect with Gambling Outreach Support anytime. To do so, click on the red “Connect with Support in BC” button below. Or, go to the Gambling Support BC website. You can also access these services through the Gambling Support Line. It is available 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111.
Gambling Support BC services are available to any British Columbia resident experiencing problems from gambling. You don’t need to stop or quit gambling or be self-excluded to access these free supports.
Our counselling and outreach services can help you figure out how to manage gambling concerns, including how to control or stop gambling. You decide what will work for you.
You can talk to an outreach support person about next steps for yourself if you aren’t wanting counselling. They can help you find self-help resources or local community resources and make a plan that meets you where you are at.
Outside of British Columbia
Canada: www.gamblingguidelines.ca/getting-help
United States: National Council on Problem Gambling
United Kingdom: GamCare
Australia: Gamblers’ Help
If you live outside of these countries, search online for “Gambling Help” in your country
Online Support and Meetings:
Gamblers Anonymous and GamAnon
GamTalk (online chat forum)
To learn more about gambling concerns and how to access resources and support, go to the home page of this website, click on the red “Learn More” button below, or connect with us through Facebook.
Fold em is funded by Gambling Support BC. We welcome your feedback and ideas for topics for upcoming episodes. Reach out through the Contact Us page on this website or through email at Foldempodcast@gmail.com.