The top 4 casino mistakes and how to avoid them

Playing online casino games can be exciting, fun, rewarding, relaxing and any combination of the above. A huge online casino industry has sprung up and that means that there are all kinds of games and gambling sites out there to cater to players.

When navigating this evolving and exciting world, it’s good to have an idea of what some good habits are and what practices to avoid. Today we will be talking about mistakes a lot of players make when gambling online and how to avoid them.

Even veteran players can sometimes make hasty or unwise decisions when it comes to their gambling so there’s no need to feel embarrassed – we’re all here to learn and get better at what we love doing!

Read on to learn about the 4 most common mistakes casino players make and how to avoid doing so yourself. If you recognise any of these as something you have done before, never fear. We also offer suggestions to help you improve next time.

Mistake #1 – Not having a budget

Gambling requires money! That’s a pretty basic premise we all understand. However, the way you spend your money and how quickly you spend it will shape the way you experience casino games and how long you get to play.

Some players, inexperienced ones especially, get a little over-excited about a new casino, quickly burning through more cash than they can really afford and quickly ending up with none at all. In the short term, that means no more casino games for a while. Worst case scenario is that their overall financial situation takes a hit and a repeat of that behaviour could signal issues with problem gambling.

Setting a casino budget can help avoid both of these negative scenarios. Identify how much you are comfortable losing. After all, you are statistically likely to lose money every time you gamble so you should think of your budget as your ‘spending’ – an amount you are not going to get back. That way, any wins are a bonus and not the goal.

Your casino limit can be tailored to suit your preferences. Some prefer to set a daily loss limit, others prefer to allocate a certain budget for the month. Some players also set win limits, which prevents them from getting too overconfident following a win and making poor choices going forward.

However you decide to structure your limit, it’s imperative that you stick to it no matter what. On a win streak but run out of cash? It’s time to stop regardless. We’re not saying it’s easy but having a budget and sticking to it resolutely will ensure you have a safe gambling experience over the long term.

Mistake #2 – Giving the wrong details on registration

It’s easy to understand people’s privacy concerns, given how even big companies have succumbed to cyber attacks and leaks. And who has time to trawl through heaps of junk mail? It can be tempting to give false details when setting up your casino account. After all, who’s going to know?

You will, for one. A lot of casinos use mobile numbers and/or email addresses to verify their players’ accounts and lift any temporary restrictions in place to prevent the creation of fake accounts. If you give a false email, you will not be able to verify your casino account and will likely not be able to use it fully.

Some casinos also like to send players promotions via email. If you enjoy participating in these sorts of opportunities, failing to give your real email address will mean you miss any special deals. Similarly, if you happen to win a casino competition or tournament, you will probably be informed of your win via email.

The days of companies sending too much spam mail are slowly coming to a close as the authorities clamp down on unsolicited email, the unauthorised selling of customer details and so on.

If you feel a casino is sending you too much email, you can unsubscribe from all or some emails through your casino account and via a link at the bottom of any correspondence from that casino. Every casino has a legal obligation to give the customer the chance to unsubscribe.

If you do not wish to unsubscribe but still keep casino-related mail under control, you can open an email account solely for use at online casinos. Any correspondence will be sent there, keeping your personal email clutter-free, and you can use it to verify and communicate with the casino if needed.

Giving fake details can also have consequences when it comes to withdrawing any winnings. If the name you gave to register does not match the name visible on your identifying documents, casinos will, quite reasonably, be asking questions. After all, they do not want to be involved in anything nasty like identify fraud or theft, so the casino will do its due diligence, which can mean a long wait for your money.

Mistake #3 – Not reading the fine print

This is an issue we encounter frequently, with players complaining about things that have been clearly laid out in the casino’s terms and conditions. Yes, T&Cs do not make for an exciting read but they are extremely helpful in understanding what to expect from a casino.

A lot of sites split their T&Cs into the general and bonus conditions. Read both closely to know what your rights and responsibilities are when playing and how the casino operates. In this document you will find information on everything dealing with payments, restrictions, provisions for responsible gambling and the time frames for withdrawals, wagering requirements, bonus validity and more.

Mistake #4 – Choosing the wrong casino

There are hundreds, if not thousands of online casinos out there. Big, small, reputable, shady. Finding the right one can be difficult, particularly as so many seem to offer the same games and services.

Our advice is to take your time. Don’t simply sign up to the first casino that catches your eye. Our casino reviews are a good start, laying out the details in an easy-to-read fashion and focusing on the important stuff. We also blacklist rogue casinos so players aren’t caught out by shady sites.

If you want to do some research yourself, there are a few things you can look for that will show the quality of a casino. Is it licensed and who by? EU-based casino licenses are by far the most respected, so look for logos from the MGA, the UKGC or both.

A casino’s security record is also of interest. Independent fairness auditing companies like eCOGRA check whether casinos are offering games that are 100% random i.e. not rigged. An eCOGRA certificate is a positive sign. The kind of encryption a casino uses is also important – at the minute, SSL is the most secure protocol available.

Even if a casino is completely safe, secure and reliable, it might not be the right casino for you. Perhaps it does not host games by your favourite provider or does not allow transactions through your preferred payment method. Finding all these things out before you create an account will avoid wasted time.

Conclusion

Everyone makes mistakes and that’s also true for casino players, no matter their level of experience. Avoiding these common mistakes can help prevent headaches down the line. Keep these in mind every time you sign up to play at a new casino and your gambling experience will be positive all the way.