Long odds and short odds

Short odds

With short odds gambling products, you find out very quickly if you win or lose. The time between your bet and the outcome is short. Because it happens so quickly, you often want to play again right away. This makes this type of gambling very addictive.

Examples of short odds gambling products are:

• Slot machines (gaming machines)
• Poker
• Betting on horses or sports matches (such as football or tennis)
• Scratch cards
• Bingo in a hall or online
• Online casinos (such as roulette or blackjack)

Long odds

With long odds gambling products, it takes longer to know if you win or lose. You have to wait longer for the result. This makes these types of gambling usually less addictive, but there’s always a risk involved.

Examples of long odds gambling products are:

• Lotteries (such as State Lottery or Postcode Lottery)
• Store promotions where you have a chance to win a prize
• Sports quizzes where you need to send in an answer
• Football pools (for example predicting the results of matches in a tournament)
• Annual charity raffle

Please note: you can also lose money with long odds gambling products. Therefore, only gamble with money you can afford to lose.