Guides

November 26, 2022

Money Management Tips for Slim Casino Budgets

Thando Dlamini
Written byThando DlaminiWriter
Researched byPriya PatelResearcher

Playing online casino games can be thrilling. It feels like playing in Las Vegas, just that the casino has come home this time. But being a skillful player entails more than just choosing a game and hoping for a win. Players must learn to mitigate losses by practicing some casino bankroll management tips. It even gets worse if the budget isn’t big enough. 

Money Management Tips for Slim Casino Budgets

So, to help you out, this guidepost discusses tips and strategies to protect your precious bankroll from the casino. But note that bankroll management is more about proper casino accounting than a gaming strategy. In simple words, money management doesn’t necessarily reduce the house edge. But it sure does increase your chances of winning by letting you play for more extended periods. 

Tip #1: Create budget limits

This guidepost assumes you have already set aside money for your casino entertainment. To that end, dividing your bankroll into smaller daily or weekly units is advisable. For example, if you have a $3,000 budget for the week, split it up into six equal units, assuming you don’t play on Saturdays or Sundays. This means using $500 daily at the casino. Nothing more, but it could be less!

After creating the daily limits, don’t play with more than 5% of the unit on a single wager. In this example, there should be a maximum of $25 per bet. But because this betting limit will only give you around 20 rounds, reduce the limit to even 1%. Remember that you can still win the Mega Moolah jackpot by Microgaming with a $0.50 bet. 

Tip #2: Set stop-loss limits

Don’t stop at just creating a bankroll with several daily limits. Experienced players know that temptations are aplenty at the casino, especially when a losing streak arrives. Consider this; you can lose half of the daily budget with a few hundred spins. As painful as it is, most casino players will continue spinning, hoping to recover some of the lost amounts. And you know how the story ends, don’t you?

Avoid getting into such situations by having a stop-loss limit. This implies you should stop playing after losing a specific percentage of your budget. You can have a 25%, 50%, or 75% loss limit. In short, don’t stick around after losing half your budget without winning anything substantial. And if possible, call it a day after adding a specific percentage to your bankroll. 

Tip #3: Don’t skip the bonus day

The main advantage of playing at the best online casino sites is the abundance of bonuses and promotions. These casinos often welcome new sign-ups with deposit bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, free spins, or reload bonuses. After becoming a regular player, the casino can surprise you with weekend cashbacks, free spins, free tournaments, and more. 

Exploit these online casino bonuses and win something to add to your bankroll. No-deposit bonuses, cashback, and free spins are the best casino bonuses, because players don’t have to deposit anything to claim them. But don’t claim all the casino bonuses on offer. Some casinos will void your bonus progress after claiming a bonus with an already active promotion. Also, read the fine print carefully.

Tip #4: Play friendly casino games

This is arguably the most important advice of all the casino money management tips in this post. All casino games give the house an edge in all bets you make. This mathematical advantage assures the online casino of its cut even if the player wins the progressive jackpot. Therefore, we only play casino games with a lower house edge

With that in mind, novice players with slim casino budgets will jump at the chance to play the shiny online slots. Sadly, they don’t know these games have some of the worst return rates. Most slot machines offer RTP rates of between 90% to 97%, meaning the maximum players can win from a $100 bet is $90 to $97. 

So, play table games like craps, roulette, baccarat, and blackjack to enjoy higher return rates. It’s also advisable to sharpen your blackjack and video poker skills to survive the harsh gambling world. Although these games can look intimidating to beginners, they allow players to use an optimal strategy to lower the house edge to less than 0.50%. A good example is Lightning Blackjack by Evolution Gaming, which has a theoretical return rate of 99.56%.

Are you still doubting the house edge issue? Use it to calculate the approximate hourly losses and create a bankroll. For instance, an average slot machine player makes 500 spins per hour. Assume each spin costs $1, and the game has a 4% house edge (96% RTP). This gives an average loss per hour of $20. The price obviously increases with a higher house edge.

Tip #5: Slow down the pace

Many casino players don’t know that the trick to protecting a casino budget is slowing down. But it’s hard to blame them, considering that game rounds in slots and other luck-based games can take just a few seconds. By the way, this is another solid reason to choose poker and blackjack. There are many decisions to make in these card games, eventually slowing down the gameplay. 

If you’re a slot machine player, avoid using the Autospin feature, which increases the pace tenfold. With this in-game feature, the game will automatically spin several times using the specified bet/coin amount. This can be 10 to 100 rounds. To support this advice, the UKGC banned fast spins and auto-play slot features in February 2021. 

Tip #6: Play games with lower bet limits

Online casino games come with different bet limits. You can find a live blackjack game from Evolution allowing a $0.50 bet, whereas a game from Ezugi has a $1.00 bet limit. This example shows that playing a game with low bet limits prolongs your short bankroll lifespan. But remember that live games only support real money bets.

Slot machine players are even better off. The industry has no shortage of penny slots, although the odds of winning are slightly worse. Players can enjoy hours of spinning the machine on as little as a $50 budget. And that’s without mentioning that these games have some of the biggest payouts in online gambling. Just imagine winning a progressive jackpot with a $0.10 bet. 

Tip #7: Don’t play at brick-and-mortar casinos

Any avid casino player’s dream is to visit popular gambling destinations like Macau, Monaco, and Las Vegas. These 24/7-lifestyle cities host some of the most prominent land-based casinos in the world with slot machines, baccarat tables, and more. But because you’re operating on a slim budget, don’t visit the casino, even if it’s right next door.

The thing is that land-based casinos don’t offer bonuses and promotions. Also, the stake limits at land-based venues are way higher to cover casino management expenses. And yes, many players can be tempted to tip the dealer and drink themselves to oblivion. For these reasons and many more, play online live casino games and enjoy the same realistic experience without spending unnecessarily.

Tip #8: Use a betting system

A betting system is a strategy that determines how you place wagers without losing the entire bankroll. For example, the Flat Betting strategy requires bettors to use only 1% of their bankroll for an extended period before recalculating the base amount. Another reliable betting strategy for a limited budget is Martingale, where players double their initial stakes after a loss and recover everything with a single win. 

But betting strategies can be costly to implement for slim budgets. In the case of Martingale, you’ll need to set a low base amount to avoid blowing up the entire bankroll before a win comes knocking. In addition, you should only apply a betting strategy to even money games like craps, roulette, baccarat, and blackjack. These games have wagers that give players almost a 50% chance of winning. That’s what you want with a betting system.

Tip #9: Keep gambling records

Many players often don’t track the amount they spend at the casino. Playing blindly without tracking your spending means you’ll never know how much you deposit or withdraw. If you realize that you’re making life-changing losses, it might be the best time to reconsider your gaming approach or take a break from the activity.

There are numerous ways to track online casino expenditures. Some casinos can prepare weekly or monthly statements of the amount spent or withdrawn on the website. Players can also get banking statements from casino payment providers like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, or Skrill. And remember to track the friendliest bets or games. You can realize that blackjack is friendlier than online poker. 

Tip #10: Don’t play with emotions

Separating emotions from your online casino sessions is a must to be a successful player. Most players let their emotions overpower their personalities after losing a string of bets. Although losses are painful, even for most professional casino players, handling them matters most.

First, do not chase losses, no matter how tantalizing the next bet looks. Second, don’t be greedy by staking all your winnings, hoping to double or triple the amount. And above all, throw in the towel at the right time or risk losing even more of your bankroll. This takes you back to the point of setting a stop-loss limit. 

The sum up

Have you learned a thing or six from these bankroll management tips? As a novice gambler, it’s critical to play on a budget and stick to a plan. You should also select the games carefully and play only at the most reputable casinos. And avoid the casino if the games are not tested by independent bodies like Gaming Associates and eCOGRA. Thanks for reading!

About the author
Thando Dlamini
Thando Dlamini
About

Thando Dlamini, a vivacious 22-year-old from South Africa, seamlessly blends her love for the vibrant world of online casinos with her meticulous localization skills, making the digital gaming experience truly South African.

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