Cookie Policy

How The Sport Stack uses cookies and similar technologies, and how you can control them.

[Effective date — set before publishing] · Applies to [The Sport Stack]

This is a plain-language template provided for general information — it is not legal advice. Items in [brackets] are placeholders. Have it reviewed and completed by qualified counsel for your jurisdiction before you rely on or publish it.

About This Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how [The Sport Stack] uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website and use our sports analytics content covering MLB, NFL, and MMA. It describes what these technologies are, the categories we use, why we use them, and how you can control them.

This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy (/privacy), which explains in more detail how we handle personal data, and our Terms of Service (/terms). Where this policy uses terms such as "we", "us", or "our", it refers to [The Sport Stack], operated by [legal operating entity — to be confirmed].

[The Sport Stack] publishes model projections, best bets, player-prop edges, line-shopping boards, and a public record of the operator's own previously-staked plays. It is informational and entertainment content only. It is not a sportsbook, and cookies are never used to accept, place, or facilitate any wager.

What Cookies and Similar Technologies Are

A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your device (computer, phone, or tablet) when you visit. Cookies let a site recognize your device, remember your choices, and understand how the site is used. They cannot run programs, install software, or read other files on your device.

"Similar technologies" work in comparable ways and, in this policy, we treat them the same as cookies. They include:

Local storage and session storage — small amounts of data your browser keeps for the site (for example, your selected sport, chosen date, or theme preference). This data stays on your device rather than being sent back with every request.
Pixels and tags — tiny snippets used by analytics tools to record that a page loaded or an action occurred.
Software development kits and scripts — code loaded on our pages (for example, from a content delivery network or, in the future, a payment processor) that may set or read cookies to do their job.

Cookies may be "session" cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser, or "persistent" cookies, which remain until they expire or you delete them.

How We Use Cookies and Similar Technologies

We group the technologies we use into categories based on their purpose. The categories below describe what we use today and what we expect to use once user accounts and paid subscription tiers launch.

Strictly Necessary

These are essential for the site to work and to be secure. They are set automatically and cannot be switched off through our consent tools, because the site would not function properly without them. They are used to:

Deliver core site functionality and serve pages correctly.
Support security, prevent fraud and abuse, and protect the integrity of the service.
Balance server load and route your requests reliably.
Remember your acknowledgment that you are of legal age to view sports-betting-related content, so you are not asked repeatedly.
Remember your cookie-consent choice, so we apply your preferences and do not re-prompt you unnecessarily.

Because these cookies are essential, they are used on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating a secure, working website and do not require your consent. Blocking them through your browser may cause parts of the site to fail.

Preferences

These remember choices you make so the site behaves the way you expect on your next visit. They are convenience features and do not track you across other websites. Examples include:

Your display preference, such as light or dark theme.
Your selected sport (MLB, NFL, or MMA) and the date or slate you were viewing.
Other interface settings you adjust, so they persist between visits.

Analytics and Performance

These help us understand how visitors use the site — for example, which pages are most viewed, how people move through the site, and where errors or slow loading occur — so we can improve it. Where required, this data is aggregated or pseudonymized.

Measuring page views, sessions, and general usage patterns.
Identifying performance problems and errors so we can fix them.
Understanding which features and content are most useful, to guide improvements.

Analytics and performance cookies are set only with your consent, where consent is required, and we do not load them until you agree. Our analytics tooling may not be fully deployed yet; we capture your consent choice now so that your preference is respected if and when it is turned on.

Authentication (Forward-Looking)

The site is currently free and does not require an account. We plan to introduce user registration (free first) and, later, paid subscription tiers. When accounts launch, we will use authentication cookies to:

Keep you signed in as you move between pages, so you do not have to log in repeatedly.
Maintain the security of your session and protect your account.
Remember your account settings and, where applicable, your subscription status.

Authentication cookies are strictly necessary for any feature that requires you to be logged in — you cannot use those features without them. Until accounts are available, they are not in use. We will update this policy as these features go live.

First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies are set directly by [The Sport Stack] ("first-party") — for example, those that remember your preferences or your consent choice. Others may be set by third parties whose services we use to run the site ("third-party").

Content delivery networks that help deliver pages and assets quickly and reliably.
Analytics providers that help us measure and improve the site, once consented and deployed.
In the future, a payment processor to handle paid subscriptions securely — such cookies would generally be strictly necessary to complete and protect a transaction.

Third parties that set cookies through our site are responsible for their own use of that data under their own privacy notices. We encourage you to review their policies where they are named or linked at the time a service is in use.

Managing Your Choices

You have several ways to control cookies and similar technologies:

On-site consent banner — when you first visit (and where consent is required), you can accept or reject non-essential cookies. Strictly necessary cookies are always active because the site cannot function without them.
Changing your choice later — you can revisit and update your cookie-consent choices at any time through the consent controls provided on the site.
Browser controls — most browsers let you block or delete cookies and clear local storage through their settings. You can usually choose to be warned before a cookie is set, or to block cookies entirely.
Clearing local storage — you can clear site data through your browser to remove preferences we have stored on your device.

If you block or delete strictly necessary cookies, or clear all site data, parts of the site may stop working correctly, your age acknowledgment and consent choice may be forgotten, and you may be asked to confirm them again.

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. There is no common industry standard for how sites should respond to DNT, and our site does not currently respond to DNT signals in a specialized way.

Where required by applicable law, we aim to recognize the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid request to opt out of certain sharing or sale of personal information. For details on how we treat opt-out signals and your privacy rights under laws such as the CCPA/CPRA and the GDPR/UK GDPR, please see our Privacy Policy (/privacy).

What Happens If You Reject Non-Essential Cookies

You can use the site without accepting analytics, performance, or other non-essential cookies. If you reject them:

The site will still work, and you can continue to view our projections, boards, and track record.
We will not collect analytics or performance data from your visit.
Some convenience preferences may not be remembered between visits if you also decline preference storage.
Strictly necessary cookies will still operate, because they are required for the site to function and be secure.

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the technologies we use, in the law, or in our practices — for example, when analytics tooling is fully deployed, or when user accounts and paid subscription tiers launch. When we make material changes, we will update the policy on this page and, where appropriate, seek fresh consent.

The effective date of the current version is shown in the page header. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and similar technologies.

Relationship to the Privacy Policy and How to Contact Us

This Cookie Policy is part of, and should be read alongside, our Privacy Policy (/privacy), which explains the legal bases we rely on, how long we keep data, the third parties involved, and your rights under laws including the GDPR/UK GDPR and the CCPA/CPRA. It also complements our Terms of Service (/terms) and Cookie-related choices referenced elsewhere on the site.

If you have questions about this policy or about our use of cookies and similar technologies, please contact us at [privacy@thesportstack.example]. For general or legal inquiries, you can reach us at [contact@thesportstack.example].