Online casinos can be a fun source of entertainment and an opportunity to win money. However, it’s important to gamble responsibly. Setting a budget, taking breaks, and keeping gambling fun and social are some tips for maintaining healthy playing habits. Using all the tips requires some learning and effort. But they can help your discipline, money last longer and results ultimately outweigh the costs.
Take Advantage of Bonuses and Promotions
Nearly all online casinos, including Alberta Play, run frequent bonuses and promotions to attract new players and reward loyal customers. Be sure to sign up for newsletters so you never miss out on profit-boosting offers. Common promotions include:
- Welcome packages: These usually match a percentage of your first deposits up to a fixed amount. They effectively grow your starting bankroll.
- Reload bonuses: You may get a bonus every time you add more funds to your account.
- Cashback rewards: Get a percentage of losses back over a certain period. This protects your bankroll during dry spells.
- Prize draws and tournaments: entering these contests sometimes comes with guaranteed prizes.
Always read the fine print on wagering requirements before claiming bonuses. And if you get free spins, use them on slot games with high return-to-player (RTP) ratings.
Master Proper Bankroll Management
Bankroll strategy is vital for gambling sustainability. Follow these tips:
- Set a gambling budget and loss limit based on what you can comfortably afford to lose.
- Split your bankroll across playing sessions rather than risking it all at once.
- Wager small percentages of your session bankroll at any time (e.g. 5%).
- Reduce stakes after big losses to protect your remaining bankroll.
- Withdraw a portion of winnings regularly and don’t chase losses by spending more after significant wins.
Proper bankroll management prevents reckless betting and ensures you have funds left to keep playing.
Brush Up on Game Rules and Basic Strategy
All casino games like Dancing Drums have optimum strategies for increasing odds and payouts. Taking time to learn these can drastically boost your profitability. Useful resources include:
- Blackjack basic strategy charts show when to hit, stand, double down etc based on your hand versus the dealer’s upcard. Following these charts helps reduce the house edge to under 1%.
- Video poker strategy cards tell you the best plays for every hand based on your game and payout table. Optimal play provides returns of over 99%.
- Craps has complex advanced tactics, but just sticking to simple bets like pass/don’t pass gives a low house edge under 2%.
- Baccarat similarly has some optional side bets, but mainly involves betting on either player or banker. House edge on these core wagers is around 1.5%.
Brush up on game rules and basic tactics before playing. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your payouts.
Choose Games With Better Odds
You can stretch each dollar further by selectively playing casino games with lower house edges. Games to focus on include:
- Blackjack (under 1% house edge with perfect basic strategy)
- Craps (1.41% edge on pass/don’t pass)
- Baccarat (1.06% edge on player bets)
- Video poker (under 1% with optimal play)
- European roulette (2.7% edge on even-money bets)
Compare these to American roulette (5.26% edge), slots (5-10%), keno (25%) etc. Every percentage less house edge equals more winnings paid back to players over time.
Take Breaks and Stop Playing When Tired or Tilted
Fatigue, frustration and agitation can make you reckless. You end up lowering stakes too late, chasing losses and breaking proper strategy. Make sure to:
- Take short 5-10 minute breaks every 30-45 minutes to refresh mentally
- Stop playing entirely if tired or experiencing a downswing
- Play only when feeling alert with no distractions or stressors
- Reassess if you get upset, greedy, or overly win-focused
Gambling with a healthy mindset leads to better discipline and profits.
Use Proper Money Management
How you handle both deposits and withdrawals affects bankroll growth:
- Deposit via methods with no/low fees like e-wallets
- Withdraw regularly so wins aren’t at risk of future losses
- Keep some winnings separate for other goals
- Wait 24 hours if a large withdrawal could make you deposit again soon after
Handling money mindfully on both ends prevents leakage from fees or impulsive re-wagering.
Track Play for Detecting Issues
Keep records so you can analyze results with data, not emotions. Tracking should include:
- Game, bet sizing, wins, losses, session length
- Bankroll highs and lows
- Impacts of any strategy adjustments
If records show problems like consistently losing on certain bets, tilting after big wins, or breaking strategy when tired, you can spot and fix leaks.
Take Advantage of Loyalty Programs
If you plan to play at one online casino most often, join its loyalty rewards program. You can earn cashback, free plays and other perks to boost profits. Make sure to research what tiered level rewards are available and required play thresholds before committing though.
Prefer Live Dealer Games When Possible
Live table games involve real human dealers and use physical equipment like real cards or wheel spins. Outcomes are thus truly random compared to computerized RNG games. Live games also capture the fun social dynamics and adrenaline of brick-and-mortar play. Just beware that minimum bets tend to be higher than normal online games.
Set Stop Losses But Avoid Unrealistic Win Goals
It’s prudent to decide on a stop loss amount indicating when to stop a session if too far down. However, setting rigid profit goals like “I must win $500 today” leads to over-playing and frustration. Have points where you consider withdrawing but stay flexible to play responsibly while you’re still winning.