All licensed gambling operators, including remote operators, offer ways to help you keep track of the time and money you are spending gambling.
A deposit limit restricts the amount of money a customer can transfer into a betting account within a specified period (e.g. per day, week or month), and is binding. This means that once the limit is reached, the customer cannot top up the account until the relevant period ends.
Betting Limits & Maximum Payouts
The topic of betting limits and maximum payouts is one that many punters don’t know much about and this is in part due to the fact that for the average punter it is often not a concern. Most bookies have such high limits and maximum payouts that the average recreational gambler is unlikely to ever need to know about either.
However, as with many of our extended gambling information articles, a little knowledge can come in very handy. Whilst most bettors won’t ever need to know about these things, some will.
Whether you are a high roller who bets large amounts (and wins large amounts), a successful gambler who suffers from bookmaker limits, or just an occasional gambler who happens to get lucky with a huge accumulator, knowing about these things will help you avoid any confusion or disappointment.
Whilst betting limits and maximum payouts are two discrete issues on one level, on another they are very much related but it is the former we shall consider first.
Betting Limits
A betting limit is the maximum amount you can place on a given bet. Betting limits can refer to two different things though, with general limits referring to the maximum amount that anyone can ever bet on a given event and individual limits being often more stringent restrictions a bookie may choose to place on a specific customer irrespective of what they are betting on.
Essentially both are designed to protect the profitability of the bookmaker and limit their liabilities. However, whilst the former tend to be open and easy to ascertain, the latter are more secretive and confusing.
General Limits
Some online bookmakers will openly state the maximum bet they will allow on a given sport and/or market. This amount will apply to a new account, or one that is yet to be affected by other limits (see below for more on individual limits). If the bookie works in this way, the limit will be listed in the rules section of the site, although most bookies actually state their limits in terms of the maximum payout. This means that the maximum stake is determined both by pre-set rules and also by the odds of the particular selection you are looking to back. We will consider this in more detail below in the maximum payouts section.
Other bookies will display the maximum stake allowed when you attempt to place a bet, and this may be as the result of the overall general limit or a restriction specific to the individual. Not all bookies do this but most of the best ones do and for high stakes bettors this certainly makes things much easier as you can quickly see what stake will be allowed. To bring up the maximum bet just attempt to place a bet far in excess of your balance and that should trigger the limit message without any risk of you actually placing a bet (although most sites have a further confirmation stage beyond this point anyway).
Individual Limits
Unfair as it may seem, and though they may sometimes profess otherwise, bookies love punters that lose and are very much less keen on habitual winners. Even the very best betting sites around will gladly accept your bets when you are losing but if you suddenly start winning on a regular basis they can often be very quick to protect their interests by imposing betting limits on your account.
Don’t misunderstand: the odd winner here and there, the occasional streak of winners or even regular wins over a long period of time that mean you are making a bit of profit won’t necessarily see your account limited. Moreover, even if you do at some stage get limited, your past bets will all still get paid in full, so this isn’t something to be overly concerned about.
That said, bookmakers employ people to manually look at accounts and also to design complex algorithms that assess the betting patterns (and profit and loss potential) of individual customers automatically, looking for customers they deem unprofitable.
As well as the simple issue of whether your bets win or lose, other factors will be considered, including the type of bets you place, what bonuses and promotions you use and other general wagering patterns. Winning alone may not incur a limit, whilst on the other hand you may find your account limited even if your bets have been losing if the bookmaker considers you a significant risk.
Individual limits are part and parcel of life for a regular, successful gambler, especially those that frequently use bonuses in such a way that maximises their chances of profiting, or only bet when using such offers. The exact extent of the limit won’t be explained but you’ll find that when you try to place a bet an error message will appear. This will either explain that your maximum stake on the requested selection is “X amount”, or, less helpfully, say that the requested amount is over your limit.
Some bookies operate a referral system, whereby limited customers will see their bets referred to a trader who manually assesses them. Other bookies operate a tiered limitation, with less restricted customers offered 50%, for example, of the standard stake, whilst the most heavily affected winners may only be offered as little as 1% of what a regular customer can bet, often making the wager effectively pointless.
Limits can, very occasionally, be removed or increased but more often than not they tend to get more severe. The ultimate conclusion to such a scenario is that the bookie will eventually inform you your account is being closed “for commercial reasons”. Rest assured, however, that this is unlikely to happen to the vast majority of bettors and, if it does happen to you, then at least you’ve more than likely enjoyed some fine wins along the way!
How you can limit your bets
Before we move on to the max bet option, let’s just take a moment here to discuss how you can limit your bets so that things don’t get out of control.
There are a few tools provided by gambling authorities that will help you control the amount of time and money you spend while playing your favourite online slots and other casino games. To be more specific, you can set a limit on how long you want to play, as well as control how much money you wish to play with.
Know how to control the time and money you spend playing.
Time out is a useful feature that comes in handy if you wish to be able to continue playing but want to block yourself from it for a short period of time (like 24-hour time frame, one week, one month…). The maximum time out that you can request using this tool is 6 weeks. In case you wish to be excluded for a longer period (we’re talking about a period of at least 6 months), then you can ask the casino in question to do it for you.
Namely, you can use a self-exclusion tool if you think you have a gambling problem and need help to stop. Of course, it’s up to you to stick to a self-exclusion agreement, but in case you try to break the rule and gamble during that period of time, the company needs to make reasonable efforts to stop you.
Set Gambling Time Limits
Gambling Reality Check Timers
Reality check timers allow you to set up on-screen alerts to monitor how long you are spending gambling. Most will allow you to choose how often you see an alert.
Each operator offers a slightly different way to access reality check timers, but they are mostly available via the safer gambling section of the operator’s website.
Gambling Time Trackers
Some gambling websites have a clock to show how long you have been signed in. Keep an eye on the clock and, at regular intervals, take time to think about whether to stop, pause or continue play.
You can also download time tracker apps to monitor how much time you are spending gambling. You can use time trackers apps to set your own time limits.
Set Gambling Deposit Limits
Set Online Gambling Deposit Limits
Deposit limits are a great way to ensure you don’t spend more than you want to.
400,000 deposit limits are set every month. Set yours by….
Safer Gambling icon Following this symbol to the safer gambling section of the licensed gambling operators website – or searching online for the operator’s name and deposit limits.
Following the on-screen instructions to set your limits. Your limits are personal to you.
Set Machine Limits
Some fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) give you the option to set a spending limit for the machine. This means that you won’t be able to spend over a certain amount on the machine.
Set Membership Card Limits
If you have a membership card for machine or table play, some operators will allow you to set a deposit limit. If an operator offers this feature, you will be able to find out how to use it from the operator’s membership policy on their website.
Speak to Staff
If you are playing in a physical venue, you can ask a member of staff to explain the limit setting tools available. Safer gambling leaflets in-venue provide further information and advice on safer gambling.
Benefit from the Max Bet Rule
Understanding bet rules works is helpful, as you can use it as your advantage every time you play. In case you don’t know what it means and how exactly it works, our blog on how to use Max Bet at online casinos can help you out.
Always check the max bet rule every time you play so you can use it to your advantage.
Every casino will have a ‘Max Bet Rule’ which will come into play when you have an active bonus. Every time you accept a bonus, you should always check how much the maximum bet is at the casino you’re playing in. As every casino is different, you will need to check every time you play. It may take a few moments to check it, but it could be detrimental to your winnings in the long run.
Basically, what this rule means is you are not allowed to bet over a certain amount in a single spin or bet when you have an active bonus in your account. One of the most common max bet amounts is €5. So, this means you should be placing bets under €5 until you have met your wagering requirements. Once these have been cleared, most casinos won’t apply the max bet rule anymore.
Only bet on the amount of money you can afford to lose.
As soon as the wagering requirements have been completed and you still want to know how to win at slot machines even more, then you can try increasing your bets. With no wagering requirements you won’t worry about breaking the max bet rule. However, you should only be betting with an amount you can afford to lose. Just because you bet big doesn’t guarantee you are going to win. If you lose, you’re going to lose your balance quicker with bigger bets, so make sure you keep that in mind.
Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses and Special Offers
Now that you understand how slots work, another important tip is to choose an online casino with a good reputation. What does that mean? Well, you’ll know the casino cares about their players if they are providing a safe and fair gaming environment. But, there’s something else to it. We all know how competitive the casino industry is wanting to attract players, where numerous casino sites offer stuff for free. It’s not a trick, they are simply competing for loyal customers, so, why not take advantage of the deals they offer?
Since all these casino bonuses really do exist, take advantage of them, and enjoy the casino’s treatment.
Once you choose a licensed casino site you like, take a look at their section called “Promotions”. In almost every casino, you’ll find a welcome bonus or an entire welcome package to start with.
Likewise, some online casinos will give you additional treats in the form of cashback bonuses, special promotions, and various gifts. You don’t have to choose them of course, but you can, as they may spice up your gameplay. Plus, if you use them wisely, and with a little bit of luck on your side, these special offers can be a great way to boost your bankroll. Make sure you read our guide to slot bonuses to get the whole picture.
However, a lot of online casinos nowadays will offer wager-free bonus spins instead. If you’ve found a casino that does this, it means any winnings derived from your spins come as cold hard cash, yours to keep with no strings attached. How to play slot machines to win is certainly not a simple task, but if you don’t have wagering requirements it’s just one less thing to worry about.
Of course, not having wagering requirements won’t help you win, again this falls on luck itself but if you strike a lucky spin, you can withdraw your lump sum straight without having to worry about those pesky requirements.
Back to bonuses themselves though, you can still take bonuses that come with low wagering requirements. So, when you’re checking our selection of online casino bonuses, just make sure you check the wagering requirements on each one before you play. How to win slot machines with a low wagering requirement is far more beneficial to you than one with high wagering requirements, so remember this trick next time you play.
Additional Casino Strategies
Some additional tips of ours include visiting slot tournaments, and in case you’re wondering how to play at slot tournaments, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Many brick-and-mortar casinos and online casino sites host slot tournaments and what makes these tournaments fun is the fact that you can compete with other contestants, while you plan ahead for the buy-in.
By joining a slot tournament you’ll have a chance to compete with other players and collect as many game points as possible in order to win.
Another useful tip is to browse online casino forums and consult other gamers. You can trust your fellow online slot players, read their reviews on slots (and casinos!), hear their opinion and see how they play. Visiting an online casino forum may not help you win but it will definitely help you learn more about real life experiences, before you try to win on online slots.
Tricks to Winning on Slot Machines: Are There Any?
To be completely honest with you, when playing casino games, we think there are no strategies that can guarantee you will win, when you decide to spin the reels of your preferred slot machines. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win – you can, of course, it’s just that it all boils down to pure luck and there’s no system, no tips or strategies will make you a millionaire.
On the other hand, we do hope our tips and tricks will come in handy when it comes to better understanding your games and gameplay.
