How Much Does Gambling Affect a Mortgage Application?

Sometimes in our lives, there comes a time when we need to ask for financial services from a bank or a mortgage lender. You might want to buy a new apartment, upgrade a car, or perhaps get a new phone. No matter the reason, in order to complete this task right here and right now, you need to fill out a mortgage application, which is a fairly simple process. The hefty problem makes itself felt a bit later, when the organization realizes you’re a gambler. All Nigerian football betting websites barely warn you about the side consequences of gambling, which may complicate your daily routine. As for now, we’d like to discuss how much gambling and sports betting influence a mortgage application and what is the best strategy for getting a loan if you’re a punter.

What Impact Does Gambling Have on a Mortgage Application?

The answer lies on the surface, and you don’t have to dig deep to figure it out. Any form of gambling, including sports betting and mortgages, doesn’t really get along. Whenever a financial institution decides to give you a loan or mortgage, it also means that staff have found you to be a reliable borrower who will fulfill the terms of the contract and return the money on time. This may be a surprise to you, but banks meticulously inspect your credit history, account activity, and recent income and spending. The period of time that’s going to be examined varies for each organization, but generally it’s about 3-6 months.

Well, the situation is not as dark as it seems at first glance. Lenders will not automatically reject your application if they see a hint that you’re a gambler. The final decision will be based upon a close inspection of your spending on bets, i.e., how much money you spend on sports wagering and gambling in general. Moreover, they will intently focus on the ratio of your monthly income and which part of this sum is being used for gambling. The good tidings here is that if your betting is recreational and you wager only tiny sums, there won’t be any issues. But in case you stake a significant portion of your monthly income, you may require additional assistance to get a mortgage or a loan.

Do Professional Gamblers Have a Chance to Get a Mortgage?

Gambling is a game of chances, in which the outcome can drastically flip right on the next day. Considering the fact that reliability is the main characteristic lenders seek in borrowers, the unstable nature of this specific income from sports wagering or gambling cannot guarantee the approval of your application. There’s always a tangible risk that something will go wrong, and the punter and the borrower all in one won’t be able to pay back. This situation raises a lot of questions, which can be answered by a professional consultant in the field—a mortgage broker.

These specialists will closely listen to your story, analyze the initial data with which he will have to work, and eventually provide you with solutions on how to grab a chance to get a loan. This field is full of hidden nuances, and it will be a hell of a challenge if you’d like to try to solve it on your own. It can be quite frustrating, and even devastating, to seek a mortgage or a loan nowadays without a clear understanding of where to look for lender options and how to negotiate acceptable conditions. Especially since no financial institution publishes their rates and approval criteria on websites and instead tries to persuade you during the private consultation. It makes no sense when you’re not trained in such matters and you don’t know what you need to talk about. A qualified mortgage broker will cover this issue and help you bargain for the best possible terms.

What Can You Do Now to Boost Your Chances of Getting a Mortgage?

There’s always something you can do right now in order to appear slightly better in the eyes of a lender. The first thing to do if you’re worried that your hobby will influence your application is to ask yourself if you are by any means a problem gambler and if you have unpaid debts. These are the red flags to change your behavior and habits in the first place, and perhaps you don’t need any additional financial commitments in your life right now. If you don’t have a problem with gambling addiction and everything is under control, here’s what you can try to do now prior to a consultation with a broker:

1. Stop gambling. At least for a short period of time, if you can’t drop the hobby at all. This will ensure the lender’s staff won’t find any signs of your gambling activity and increase the chances of approval.
2. Close your debts. Check you’re getting your previous debts paid back because a loan is quite unlikely to be given on top of another open debt. Moreover, good debt history adds some points to your karma in the lender’s head.
3. Start making regular savings. Open up an extra account for savings and make regular payments into it. This will be evidence that you have a plan, know how to effectively make use of your funds, and do not have a gambling addiction, since punters who have it cannot allow even a dollar to lie around.
4. Create a good credit history. This is tricky advice, but people with decent credit histories have a great chance to get a mortgage. When you are getting ready to apply for a mortgage, take a small loan from a bank for 2-3 months and pay it back without spending. You will pay a small fee for this scheme, but in return, you will have the start of your great credit history.
5. Buy something in installments. Most electronics stores and household goods stores allow you to purchase things in installments. People with a bad credit history can easily buy goods this way for a small amount. When doing so, a person enters into an agreement with the bank that approved the loan. This way, information about him as a borrower is recorded in the bank’s system, and as a result, his credit history improves. But only if the debt is paid back on time.

Conclusion

Financial institutions will always examine the application with caution when an applicant happens to have a history of gambling. Lenders aim to diminish the potential risk, and sports betting or occasional recreational stakes in online casinos may overshadow your stable income and healthy financial behavior. Thus, it’s fairly important to take any possible advantage, like professional broker assistance or some small steps towards increasing your attractiveness as a borrower. Answering the head question, we would emphasize the fact that a mortgage or a loan is an achievable thing. Just wisely use our tips and gather as much information as possible in this regard. And do not hesitate to seek professional help.