Gambling habits you want to change for 2020
Make your New Year’s gambling resolutions!
The holiday season has come and gone and we’re firmly into the new year – which for many of us means that most of our well-intentioned resolutions have fallen by the wayside as well. This year let’s break that cycle though – instead of starting a new habit, let’s eliminate an old one. If there’s a gambling habit you have that isn’t serving you, get rid of it once and for all, and you could see your winnings skyrocket as a result. Take a look at our list of habits worth breaking, and see just how much more excitement 2020 could have in store for you!
1. Spending too much money. We say it time and time again – never gamble with more than you can afford to lose. It’s pretty much the number one rule of gambling, which is why we repeat it as often as we possibly can. And yet even though we try to hammer this home almost every chance we get, we still hear tales of people blowing through their budget or mismanaging their bankroll, and suffering the consequences.
So how do you break this habit? It’s not an easy one to get to grips with, we’ll grant you that. We know just how difficult it can be to dial it back when you’re on a hot streak. Or how tempting it is to win back your losses ‘just that one time’. It’s so easy to play beyond your means, and we completely understand – the problem is that once you’ve done it the first time, it gets easier to do it the second time and the third time… and before you know it, you could find yourself in real trouble.
There’s no trick or shortcut here – the only real way to curb your gambling spend is by exercising self-control and willpower. Limits and budgets are your friend, and you’ll have to pay close attention to them. At the beginning of the month, set yourself a gambling budget, just as you would for any other expense. Then set yourself limits for your gambling sessions – either a limit on how much you’re allowed to wager, how much you’re allowed to lose, and so on. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to stick to those limits, and to your budget as closely as possible. You might find it difficult the first few times, but the benefits will soon outweigh any discomfort you might feel. You’ll have a healthy bankroll, you’ll be able to meet all your financial responsibilities, and you’ll be able to play for longer too – there’s literally no downside!
2. Not winning enough. Ok, we get it – this is probably everyone’s biggest gripe. Is any jackpot ever big enough? However we don’t mean the amount of money you’re winning, we mean the amount of times. If your winning frequency is looking a little low, i.e. you’re losing more hands or spins or rolls of the dice than you’re winning, that’s something that needs to be looked at.
Chances are if this is a habit you’ve picked up, you’re more than likely a newer player rather than a more experienced one. And perhaps you haven’t had a chance to immerse yourself fully in your preferred casino games, and their rules and strategies. While the basic premises of most games are easy enough to pick up without much instruction (i.e. in Blackjack, get as close as possible to 21 without going over), if you want to really succeed at a casino game, you’ll need to study the rules, read up on strategy, and start applying different gaming techniques. For example, if Blackjack is in fact your game, do you know how to double down and how to split, and do you know about insurance and surrendering? If not, it’s time you did some homework!
Learning more about your favourite table games, slots, and other casino games can help to improve your knowledge and your game immensely – and hopefully your winning streak too. So if you think it’s about time you won more, read more and practice more, and those wins could soon come rolling in!
3. Missing out on bonuses and promos. If you think that casino offers begin and end with welcome bonuses, then we’ve got good and bad news for you. The good news is that there are plenty more offers waiting for you at your casino. The bad news is that you’ve been missing out on them till now.
That’s all about to change though, so don’t get too upset about it. The fact is that if you’ve been missing out on regular casino bonuses and promotions, you either haven’t been logging onto your casino website enough, or you don’t know where to look – and both of these issues are fixable.
Most reputable casinos offer a wide range of bonuses to players beyond the standard welcome bonus – usually these take the form of refer-a-friend bonuses, reload bonuses, deposit bonuses, cash back bonuses, happy hour bonuses, VIP bonuses, birthday bonuses, and many more. You’ll also find a variety of promotions as well, whether daily, weekly or monthly, giving you the chance to win cash or prizes. Usually casinos will let you know about these bonuses and promotions through emails or newsletters, or by advertising them on their actual website, either on the home page or the promotions page, or both. So if you’re keen on keeping up with what’s on offer, you’ll need to start reading the communication your casino sends you, and logging onto the website every once in a while to check what’s new.
It might sound like a mission, but in fact it’ll only take a few minutes of your day – and the rewards will be more than worth it. So bookmark your casino site, sign up for regular emails or newsletters if you haven’t already, and start making the most out of all your casino has to offer. Your bankroll will soon thank you!
4. Drinking and gambling. You see it at land-based casinos all the time – whisky bars, cocktail bars, smoking bars, non-smoking bars, sports bars. Alcohol is everywhere at brick and mortar casinos, so why is having a drink while you gamble online such a bad thing?
We’ll tell you why. Because it clouds your judgment, and impairs your decision-making. And pretty soon those firm budgets and limits you set yourself will go out the window with every successive sip you take. Not only that, given the excitement and thrills of gambling, it becomes difficult to stick to just one drink, no matter how good your intentions might be – so an hour or two into a session you could find yourself a six-pack and who knows how many poor decisions down. And that’s not a good place to be.
Sure, we understand that gambling is fun, and that it seems to go naturally with a glass or two of the good stuff. But at the same time, you need to consider that what might be enjoyable in the short-term could end up being detrimental in the long-term. You might not feel the effects after half a beer or a glass of wine, but soon you could find yourself placing impulsive bets, playing way past your self-imposed limits, and losing far more than you can afford as a result. If there’s one habit worth breaking this year, let it be this one. By all means have a drink – just wait till you’re done gambling first. Pour yourself a glass of water or a soft drink instead, and quench your thirst responsibly while you’re mid-session. That celebratory sip afterwards will taste so much sweeter!
5. Getting bored of the same old thing. Online casino gambling is supposed to be fun – so why does it suddenly feel like such hard work? If you’ve been logging on repeatedly for gaming excitement but are finding it tedious instead, then that’s a problem – and it’s a habit that’s well worth breaking!
So what could the problem be? Are you playing the same game too often? Are you not being adventurous enough with your betting? Are you too intimidated or set in your ways to try something new? There’s no shame in finding a space you’re happy with, but at the same time, you need to be aware of the fine line between a comfort zone and a rut.
If online gambling has gone from fun pastime to monotonous chore, then it’s time for you to shake things up. So what if you’ve never played Craps before? Read the game guide and get those dice rolling. Even if you find out that it’s not quite your game, at least you gave it a go and tried something new. Tired of playing it safe and placing small bets to no avail? Place a riskier bet (that’s within your budget!) and see if that gets your adrenaline pumping. Or if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool slots player, take a crack at a parlour game like Keno, Sic Bo or Bingo, and find out what you’ve been missing.
There’s so much to see, do, play and try at online casinos that there’s no reason for you to ever be bored. So this year make a resolution to break that habit, try something new, and reignite your passion for quality gaming!
Happy Spinning 🙂
Breaking a bad habit to boost your experience sounds exciting! Here’s to a year of healthier, more thrilling gaming! 🎉