How Not to Blow Out Your Account When Playing Online Casino Games

We’ve all heard the rampant horror stories. Someone gets stuck into the slots with a small flutter, gets caught up in the action, and before they know it, they’ve lost their entire account balance. If you’re going to take a shot at internet casino games, the good news is that with a modicum of common sense and self-control, you don’t need to end up as one of these horror stories splashed all over social media.

Set Your Limits Before You Start

The golden rule of online gambling at a site like NetBet.co.uk is simple: decide how much you can afford to lose before you even sign on. This isn’t about negativity – it’s realism. You need to think of your gambling pot as you would any other entertainment expense, whether that’s a night out at the cinema, a trip to Nando’s, or a weekend away in the Cotswolds.

Most trustworthy internet casinos possess inbuilt mechanisms to assist you in staying true to yourself. You can establish daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits, and most websites won’t allow you to raise these limits for a minimum of 24 hours once you’ve established them. This cooling-off period is excellent for avoiding those spontaneous choices when you’re on a roll.

Loss limits are equally important. Decide beforehand how much you are willing to lose in a session, and when you have reached that amount, walk away. No ifs, buts, or maybes – the casino will still be there tomorrow, but your money might not be if you persist in chasing losses.

Understand the House Edge

There’s something called a house edge in all casino games – essentially, the mathematical advantage the casino has over its players. It isn’t a conspiracy, but rather how the casinos stay in business, and it’s a key concept to understand because it helps with having realistic expectations.

Over time, the casino will always win, so get used to it. Yes, you can win in the short term, but the longer you gamble, the more likely you are to lose. This is not meant to put you off – just to make you understand that gambling has to be treated as entertainment and not as a way of making money.

Do Not Chase Your Losses

This is likely the biggest trap that players get themselves into. You’ve lost £50 on the horses, so you bet £100 in an effort to win it back. When that doesn’t work, you bet £200. Next thing you know, you’re in a bit of a mess, having lost a lot more than you originally set out to, and facing a week of eating ramen noodles.

Loss chasing is a mug’s game because it is based on the gambler’s fallacy – the incorrect belief that past outcomes determine future outcomes. If you have just lost ten coin flips in a row, the next flip still has exactly a 50% chance of being heads; the roulette wheel doesn’t remember that red has come up five times in a row.

If you are feeling depressed about life and online casinos, take a time-out. Go and have a cup of tea, take the dog for a walk, or ring a friend for a whinge. Give yourself some time to think logically rather than making emotional decisions that you will likely later regret.

Choose Your Games Wisely

Casino games are not created equal when it comes to your chances of winning. If you need to make your money survive, play the games with the lower house edges and avoid the games that are designed to separate you from your money quickly.

Blackjack, baccarat, and certain types of poker offer some of the best odds, especially if you learn basic strategy, whereas games like keno and most side bets offer terrible odds and should be avoided if you aim to be wise with your money.

Slot machines are a little bit of a double-edged sword. They’re enjoyable and easy to play, but they can also deplete your balance quicker than you might realise, so if you do get the urge to take a spin, look for games with a better return-to-player (RTP) percentage – anything above 96% is acceptable.

Take Regular Breaks

It is easy to lose track of time when you are playing casino games online and before you know it, you have been playing for hours and have spent a lot more than you intended to. Set a timer on your phone or make use of the reality check features that most casinos offer.

Know When to Walk Away

One of the most important things any gambler can learn is when to stop. This applies whether you are winning or losing. Set win targets and loss limits for yourself. If you have doubled your bankroll, cash out some of your winnings.

Remember, there’s no shame in concluding a session when you’re ahead – the casino will be there another day, but a winning session can all too readily become a losing session if greed gets the better of you.