On this page
- Sky Exchange is for adults aged 18 and over only.
- Set a weekly amount before you play and treat it as spent.
- Ask the desk on WhatsApp to pause or close your ID whenever you want. No reason needed.
- Online betting laws differ across Indian states. Check the rules where you live.
How we think about it
We run a betting desk, so it might seem odd for us to tell you to bet less. We do it anyway because a player who loses control is bad for everyone, including us. The people who enjoy an exchange for years are the ones who decide in advance what they will spend and stop when that money is gone.
No strategy, market or app setting removes risk. Exchange betting can lose money quickly, and a lay bet can cost more than the stake you typed in. If you are new, our guide to how a betting exchange works explains liability before you ever put money on.
18+ only
You must be 18 or older to open an ID with the desk. If you are under 18, please close this site. If you think someone under 18 is using an ID, tell the desk and we will look into it.
Parents who share a phone with children can use the phone's built-in parental controls to block betting sites and apps.
Set your limits before the first ball
Limits only work when they are set while you are calm. During a close finish, every limit feels negotiable. That is why we suggest writing yours down before the match.
- Pick a weekly amount. An amount you could lose in full without it touching bills, rent, savings or debt repayments.
- Deposit only that amount. If the balance runs out, the week is over. Do not top up mid-match.
- Pick a time limit. Decide how long you will play, for example one match, and leave when it ends.
- Decide your stop rule. For example, stop for the day after three losing bets in a row, whatever the balance says.
- Tell the desk if you want help. You can ask the desk to pause your ID for a set period if you find the limits hard to keep.
| Plan | Example figure |
|---|---|
| Weekly entertainment budget | ₹1,000 |
| Sessions planned this week | 2 matches |
| Most you will put on any one match | ₹500 |
| If the ₹500 is gone in the first match | Stop. The second session still has its own ₹500, and nothing more. |
Illustrative figures only. Use an amount that fits your own budget, which may be much lower.
Take breaks, and how the desk can help
Short breaks are the easiest tool you have. Step away between innings, switch off notifications, and do not open the app straight after a loss. When you want a longer break, the desk can do it for you.
| Option | What to write in the chat | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pause | "Please pause my ID for 7 days" (or any period you choose) | The desk pauses your ID for that period and confirms in the chat |
| Self-exclusion | "Please self-exclude me" | A longer break on request. Ask the desk to hold it even if you later ask to undo it |
| Close the ID | "Please close my ID" | The ID is closed. Ask the desk about any remaining balance before closure |
Most requests to undo a pause arrive during a live match, within hours of the pause being set. We treat that as a reason to keep the pause in place. If you ask us to hold firm, we will.
Warning signs to watch for
Any one of these on its own is worth stopping to think about. Two or more means it is time for a break.
Healthy play
- You play with money set aside in advance
- You stop when the budget is gone
- A losing week does not change your mood for days
- Family know roughly what you spend
Time to stop
- Chasing losses with bigger bets
- Borrowing, or using bill money, to play
- Hiding how much or how often you bet
- Feeling restless or irritable when you cannot bet
Why chasing losses goes wrong
Chasing means raising stakes to win back what you lost. It feels logical in the moment. It is not, because each bet has its own odds and the previous loss does not make the next win more likely. Doubling up after losses only makes the eventual loss bigger.
Lay bets carry liability. Laying ₹1,000 at odds of 5.0 means you stand to lose ₹4,000 if that selection wins. Chasing with lay bets at high odds is one of the quickest ways to empty a balance. This is an example, not a recommendation.
Self-exclusion: how to pause or close your ID, step by step
Asking the desk to pause or close an account is simple, and it is deliberately simple. Here is exactly what happens so there are no surprises when you ask.
First, decide which you want. A pause means the ID is locked for a period you choose and reopened only when that period ends and you ask again; nothing happens automatically. Closure means the ID is shut for good and we will not reopen it or open a replacement under the same name and number. If you are not sure, choose the longer option. It is far easier to open a fresh account in a year than to undo a bad month.
Second, deal with the balance before the lock. Settled winnings can be withdrawn to an account in your own name; money in open bets has to wait until those bets settle. Tell the desk in the same message whether you want the balance paid out before the pause or left until you return. The Sky Exchange withdrawal page covers the own-name rule and what to send.
Third, send the message from the number linked to the ID. Write "please pause my ID until" followed by a date, or "please close my ID". No reason is needed and none will be asked for. We confirm in the chat when it is done. A paused or closed ID will fail at the Sky Exchange login screen by design, so do not read that as an error.
Fourth, remove the easy paths back. Delete the app, delete the saved login link from your browser, and consider a screen-time rule or a site block on your phone. If someone close to you knows you have paused, tell them that too; a second person makes a pause hold.
If you would rather not raise it in the chat, the email address on the contact page works as well, as long as the message comes from a detail we can match to the account. And if a pause or closure feels like too big a step, start with a limit you tell the desk about. Saying the figure to another person makes it real.
Getting support
If betting is affecting your money, sleep, work or relationships, please talk to someone. A trusted friend or family member is a good start, and a doctor or counsellor can help with stress, anxiety or low mood that often comes with problem gambling.
In India, the government's Tele MANAS mental health helpline is available on 14416. If you feel you might harm yourself, contact local emergency services immediately.
You can also use phone settings to make betting harder: remove the app, block betting sites in your browser, and set screen-time limits. Ask the desk to close your ID, and use our contact page if you need help doing it.