It would be best if you walked away from an online slot machine when:
Tops Signs You Need to Quit Playing Online Slot Machines
You start to become tired, exhausted, or fatigued
Although online slots are easy to play, as they don’t need any skill or a lot of input from you, the last thing you want is to continue playing when you are tired and weary. You want to be alert and ready to take advantage of any winning chances. This is particularly true for bonus rounds, sticky symbols, and other special features that may pop up on the reel.
Slot games are abundant at online casinos, which means there are plenty of titles to choose from. At the same time, you can play online casino slots for many hours on end.
If you are not too careful, you might be spending the whole day playing online slots.
That is not good for your health and well-being. Moreover, you are more likely to make costly gameplay mistakes when worn out and tired. When your mind and body become weary, it is time to walk away from an online slot machine.
Playing stops being fun and entertaining
It would be best to consider playing online slot machines as a fun and exciting pastime. You should never see it as a source of income but rather as a form of entertainment – like watching a movie, reading a book, or playing pool games with friends. You wouldn’t play a round of golf with your buddies if it isn’t fun, would you?
The same goes for playing online slot machines. It would help if you quit playing the slot game when it stops being fun and entertaining for whatever reason – be it too many losses, weariness, pain, or anything else. You should log off your online casino account and take a break to re-energize your mind, body, and spirit before returning to it later.
You reach your betting budget limit
As a rule of thumb, you should set a tight budget for your online slot play ahead of time. When you do that, make sure to set aside money exclusively for playing the slots. You should never use the money you cannot afford to lose, such as funds for medical bills, rent, mortgage, and other vital expenses.
You shouldn’t stop after setting the budget; you must do everything in your ability to stick to your budget. Simply walk away from the online slot machine when you have exhausted your bankroll. That means you have reached your spending limit; don’t tap into your funds to continue playing online slots.
You are making too many losses
When going through a seemingly long losing streak, you should consider that a surefire sign that you should quit playing immediately. As general advice, you should never try to chase your gambling losses.
If you chase your online slot losses, you will lose more money and worsen your financial situation. So, when you keep losing more and more money, you should walk away from an online slot machine and perhaps log out of your online casino account. If possible, it would help to step outside and take a slow, relaxing walk to calm your nerves.
But how many losses are enough for you to walk away? It is up to you to set your loss limit. You must be strict and adhere to this limit. For instance, you can decide in advance that you should step away from the online slot machine when you lose $300 from your bankroll.
You have reached your win limit
Most people set the maximum amount of losses they can take from a slot machine. However, not everyone sets the upper winning limit, the total amount of money you expect to earn from playing an online slot machine. Remember, winning streaks don’t last forever; in fact, they rarely last ten consecutive spins.
Therefore, you should decide your win limit and stick to it. For instance, you can choose to walk away from the virtual slot machine once you have won $450. Don’t let the excitement of winning cloud your judgment; you should take a break when your slot winnings reach $450.
You are intoxicated or drunk
If there’s one cardinal rule of gambling, it is this: don’t gamble when you are drunk or under the influence of intoxicating substances like marijuana. Most of these drugs impair your recall and judgment, meaning that you start making errors while playing the online slot machine. In fact, casinos give out free alcoholic drinks for this particular reason – you are more likely to wager more money and make riskier betting decisions when intoxicated.
If you think that you are (or getting) drunk, you should walk away immediately from the online slot machine. Drink some coffee, sleep it off, or use other strategies to sober yourself up before returning to playing the slot game.
Your internet connection or device is unreliable
Online slot machines are full of computing-heavy features, graphics, animations, and other elements that rely upon stable internet connections and devices to work correctly.
If the slot machine is lagging, crushing, or too slow, you might want to stop playing because you may miss out on features like bonus rounds, free spins, and wild symbols.
It turns into problem gambling
If you have been playing online slots obsessively and impulsively, you may be addicted to gambling. You will probably continue to play despite losing dollar after dollar. The gambling problem will do a number on your financial, psychological, emotional, and physical health, not to mention it will ruin your friendships and relationships.
- Do you borrow money to fund your online slot play?
- Are playing slots affecting your health?
- Are you preoccupied with playing slots all the time?
- Do you feel anxious, irritable, or restless when you stop or reduce gambling?
- Do you need to increase your bet amount to enjoy playing online slot machines?
If any of the answers are yes, you may have a gambling problem. It is time to walk away from the online slot machine and seek help for the problem. You can get help, support, and resources from:
- National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)
- The National Council on Problem Gambling Helpline
- Gambling Help Online Helpline
- GamCare
- Gamblers Anonymous (Gam-Anon)
When should you walk away from a slot machine?
It would be best if you walked away from a slot machine when…
Common sense says you should quit
There are many instances when common sense will tell you to walk away from a slot machine. These include:
- When you become tired, weary, or exhausted
- When you need a restroom break or feel hungry
- When the slot machine is fuzzy or glitches, for instance, you should stop when the spin button is stuck, too hard when pressed, or too sticky to the touch.
- When the environment around the slot machine isn’t conducive — for instance, you should walk away when the area is filled with smoke or is too cold/too hot/ too unpleasant for comfort.
- When it stops being fun — gambling on slot machines should be enjoyable, exciting, and entertaining; so, you must stop when the fun is no longer there.
You are needed somewhere else
- You may be required by your spouse, family, or coworker to engage in other non-gambling activities.
- You may need to go back to work.
- It may be time to start packing or traveling for your trip back home
Your finances tell you to walk away
- You have depleted your bankroll or spending budget
- You have reached your loss limit
- You have hit your win limit
- You are losing too much
- You spend more than you can afford to lose on playing a slot machine.
You should walk away from the slot machine in all of the above financial situations.
Your emotions tell you to walk away
There are various scenarios where your emotions may indicate that you quit playing a slot machine. For instance:
- When losing is affecting your emotional health – your emotions run high when you play slots
- When playing is causing anxiety, depression, or stress
- When slots play is causing you pain, headaches, or migraines
- When you aren’t having fun when you play slot machines
- When losing is causing you to lose your temper or cool on the casino floor
- When gambling is affecting your family ties, relationships, and friendships
You have won the jackpot while playing slots
It pays to take a break and count your blessings when you hit the jackpot. It doesn’t matter if the jackpot is worth millions or thousands of dollars; you want to celebrate and make sure you don’t lose it all to the slot machine.
You have exhausted your bonuses and rewards
If your objective was to make sure of a welcome bonus, free spins, or other forms of casino rewards, you should stop once you run out of them. You don’t want to go into your bank account and use your savings to play the specific slot machine.
