Guide to Responsible Slot Play: Setting Limits Without Killing the Fun
The excitement of seeing a winning combination of symbols stopping on the payout line is hard to beat. When your win comes in and the game flashes in celebration, and you hear the sounds of victory, it is a great feeling. Generally, every win will spur you on to repeat that feeling and continue having fun.
However, it can be tempting to get into a pattern of playing for long hours at a time. You think that you will just have a quick few spins and then you look at the time and can’t believe how long you have ended up playing. You’ve escaped from your everyday routine for a while, and you don’t want to come back.
To make sure that you continue having fun playing slots, it is important to set some limits up to keep your budget and your mindset in check. Fortunately, regulated casinos in Canada have responsible gambling tools that will help you to set limits so that you can enjoy your hobby without falling into bad betting habits.
Here are some ways that you can set some limits without compromising on the fun you are having:
Determine Your Budget
To start off, consider how much money you are happy to spend on playing slots, either on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. If you see your slots playing as a hobby, it is a justifiable expense while it is providing you with enjoyment.
Make sure that you have accounted for all your monthly outgoings and essential costs before you start allocating a budget for playing slots. You might want to set up a separate prepaid card or e-wallet for playing slots to ensure that you do not dip into other funds.
Decide on the amount that you feel comfortable with using for gambling and be aware that this amount is your hard limit.
Use Tools to Set Your Limits
Check the different tools that you have within your app or casino platform. You should be able to set limits on your deposit amount, which you can set to meet your defined budget. There should also be an option to set a loss limit and if either of these limits are reached, your session will be locked until the set time period has passed.
You can also set session time limits to ensure that you do not play for longer than you intend to. This can be set at every 30 minutes, for example. Taking a break is not only important for protecting your bankroll, it will also help to ensure that when you are playing you are able to focus better. If you are playing continuously for long periods, you might find that you go into auto-pilot, simply spinning and spinning, without really thinking about what you are doing.
When you get into this routine, you won’t be enjoying playing slots as much as if you take a break and then come back with new energy.
Avoid Chasing Losses
If you end up in a losing streak, try to avoid playing for longer in an attempt to recoup your losses. When you are chasing losses, your mood will usually change from having a fun time to getting frustrated and angry.
This is a good time to take a break before you bet any more money. Establishing self-control to do this is not always easy but if you put this into practise from the offset then you are more likely to be able to maintain self-control to avoid chasing losses.
Monitor Your Mood
When you are playing slots, do a regular reflection on how you are feeling. If you are feeling bored or frustrated, slots are not providing you with the entertainment intended. You might want to consider trying out a different type of theme or trying a completely different type of game like a card game.
You don’t necessarily need to spend more money doing this, you will often be able to try out free demo versions of games to give you a different gaming experience and allow you to discover other games you might like.
If you are finding it difficult to stick to your limits, it might be time to take a break from playing slots for a while. You can delete the app to make it more difficult to access your account until you feel like you want to go back. Your chosen casino site should also provide links to support resources that can help you if you are struggling to gamble responsibly.
Playing slots should be a fun and exciting form of entertainment and if you set your own limits to stay within your affordability, you will be able to safely continue playing your favorite games and exploring new games as they get released.