Smart Gambling: Best Practices to Avoid Common Pitfalls at the Online Casino

Some casino site features or attributes can distract you from reality and keep you immersed (or hooked) for longer.

Online casinos are popular because they are convenient and exciting. They are also alluring to players due to the various design, marketing and psychological techniques that they use.

This can include anything from gamification tools, such as loyalty programs and rewards, to personalised experiences. Many of these adapt to your preferences and behaviour to further enhance engagement. All that while increasing the amount of time you spend on site.

When you visit a casino website, you are greeted with vivid visuals, sound effects, and fast-paced gameplay. All of which create a sense of excitement, anticipation, and reward. This contributes to the overall immersive experience and can trigger the brain's reward system. However, it can also lead to heightened emotions and addictive behaviours.

The more you gamble, the more you are sitting down looking at a screen, be it a computer, tablet or smartphone.

Spending too much time staring at a screen while gambling can be risky because it can lead to health problems. Eye strain, headaches, disrupted sleep, blood clots, and heart disease are just a few of the associated health risks.

It can also keep you away from your friends/family and make you more likely to develop a gambling problem.

Taking breaks and moving around is not just good for you physically, but mentally too. Stand up, go for a walk, and take a breather from gambling. Doing this will help you stay balanced, avoid getting hooked and keep your money in check.

Online gambling can get super stressful especially because it is so easily accessible on your phone or other device. It can make you feel pressured by the fast pace of games and the risk of losing money.

Additionally, the lack of face-to-face interaction and immediate negative outcomes of losing can heighten your stress levels.

Managing stress is crucial to making sure that your decisions are rational and not driven by emotional impulses like chasing losses. By practising stress management techniques, you can prepare yourself for a session of gambling without your emotions getting the better of you.

Setting strict time limits and a set budget allows you to take control before you've even started.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that sometimes you might win, and sometimes you might lose. Don't fear losing money or chasing losses as this can lead to even more gambling-associated stress.

Creating a gambling budget, also known as a bankroll, is a key part of staying in control and not blowing all of your money in one go. It's like having a money boundary that keeps you in check. It also permits you to have fun without going overboard and regretting it later,

One of the easiest ways to budget for gambling is to allocate a specific amount of funds. Work out how much you can lose without risking your finances and set it aside. This will ensure your other essential financial commitments are met before gambling.

As the majority of online gambling transactions use digital payments, you can use banking app pots or a separate account to portion a set amount of money. It's a bit like placing physical cash in a jar. This will also help prevent problem gambling habits in the future, which we will discuss in more detail below.

It is vital to recognise the signs of problem gambling and when your behaviour may be turning into a habit or an addiction.

Signs can include an inability to stop gambling or lying about gambling activities. You may borrow money to gamble or become irritable when you're away from it. Deeper habits may result in you neglecting responsibilities due to excessive gambling.

Ultimately, when gambling stops being fun or enjoyable, it's time to take a break or walk away.

What's more, it's crucial to know your limits and keep a cool head. Being aware of your behaviour and having self-control can help you avoid getting carried away and making impulsive decisions. Such as gambling more than you had intended, or saying to yourself "Just one more game".

Whether you're playing casino table games, slots, instant wins or other games, you can utilise features at online casinos to gamble smarter and more responsibly.

Online casinos offer responsible gambling tools, such as setting deposit limits on the amount you can add to your account, and time limits to restrict the session duration.

These tools can assist you in staying in control and promote a safe and enjoyable gaming experience.

If you feel that the limits aren't enough, you can use self-exclusion features. This allows you to voluntarily ban yourself from accessing an online casino or gambling site for a specified period. This might be for a day, one week, a few months or permanently.

Self-exclusion is a measure that is designed to help you deal with gambling problems by taking a break. During this time you can seek help without the temptation of gambling again.

As mentioned earlier in this guide, you can use budgeting methods as a way of limiting your gambling. But you can also set personal limits that you're fully in control of. Set yourself a time limit before you log in to your favourite casino. Put an alarm or countdown timer on your phone to alert you when it's time to call it a day.

Use a separate payment account or card specifically for gambling with a pre-loaded balance. Use only the funds that are in the account and stop gambling if you lose the allocated funds.

Before you play, remind yourself about a sign of when it is time to take a break or stop. Sometimes you've got to know when to take a breather. For example, when you're experiencing losses and start to feel frustrated, it's a sign that it's time to chill out and regroup.

Responsible gambling is a term that is commonly used in modern days. But what exactly does it mean?

The foundations of gambling responsibly are betting with money you can afford and when it is enjoyable. The moment you can't afford it or it stops being fun is the moment that you're venturing into "irresponsible gambling" territory.

Whilst it is good and useful to know what the definition of responsible gambling looks like, it's important to understand the principles of it. Let's take a look:

• Enjoy gambling in a safe and controlled manner that prioritises your well-being.
• Set deposit limits so you're not spending more than you can afford.
• Take regular breaks during gaming sessions to restore focus, attention, and decision-making.
• Avoid chasing losses when you lose and understand that losing is inevitable.
• Get help and support if you're feeling overwhelmed or experiencing negative feelings.

When you feel yourself losing control of your gambling habits and activities, it's time to seek help. You can use third-party resources from organisations that are there to provide you with the assistance you need. Even if it is just a simple conversation on a live chat facility about how you're feeling.

Below are a few helpful resources from our expert research team:

• https://www.gambleaware.org/
• https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/gambling-addiction-and-problem-gambling.htm
• https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/
• https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/support/

We've reached the end of our guide to smart gambling and avoiding common pitfalls at online casinos. By now, you should have a better understanding of how casinos work and the methods they use to attract and keep you there.

Remember, online casinos are designed to keep you immersed and engaged, but they're also an outlet for having fun and feeling the thrill of playing.

That is why your safety must be paramount and it is imperative to keep in mind the foundations of responsible gambling to avoid excessive or impulsive behaviours.

Alan Kendall’s final thoughts:

Online gambling can be a convenient, fun pastime that is enjoyable. But it is so important to keep it healthy and stay in full control of your spending. The instance you feel the control slipping away needs to be the trigger sign that it is time to take a break or get help.