The bigger the gambling industry gets, the more responsible gambling measures must be introduced to protect vulnerable individuals. Some studies on gambling behaviour have revealed that the length of gaming sessions also has an effect on the gambling patterns of players. That is why some jurisdictions like the UK have introduced limitations on gaming sessions.
Rarely are players concerned with how much time they spend gambling online. Of course, casino games tend to offer various enticing features that will prompt players to spend as much time gambling as possible. However, it is extremely easy to lose track of time and play for hours, going through your bankroll without even realising it.
No matter how much fun you are having while playing your favourite casino games, however, you should always check how much time you have spent gambling. While there is no specific formula about how long you should gamble once you have started playing, you can definitely consider certain limits that will ensure that you are still in control of the time you spend gambling.
Factors That May Affect Length of Gaming Sessions
To help you determine the optimal time to spend playing casino games, you might want to consider several factors. You should remember that there is no universal time limit that would apply to every casino player but you can see how many of the factors we list will actually apply to your gaming experience.
Playing chance-based games vs skill-based games
While all casino games depend on one’s luck, there are certain casino games that would require the use of strategy or certain skills. The options requiring more time to think about your next move will naturally be played longer. Skill-based games include blackjack and poker as the strategies used during the gameplay of these card-based games will take longer to be applied. Skill-based options will also drain you mentally, requiring some time off to clear your head and make sure that you are not hasty with your decisions.
Meanwhile, slots, baccarat, and roulette are games that do not require any serious skills and can be played for hours without feeling mentally drained. That said, this could mean that you need to be careful about spending too many hours playing non-skill-based games.
Experienced vs inexperienced players
Your experience with gambling will be yet another factor that will affect the duration of your gaming sessions. If you are less experienced, you may not spend that long playing as you might get easily overwhelmed. However, the more experience you have with casino games, the longer you can play as you can make many decisions automatically, without having to think them through for too long. The more experienced you are at certain casino games, even if they require your full focus, the longer you will be able to play them.
Gambling budget
One of the most important factors that will affect the time you play casino games is your budget. While it is logical to bet only the amount you can afford to lose, many players tend to gamble all of their money and then some. Before you start playing, you should set up a budget and stick to it. Once you reach your budget limit, you should not continue wagering as you risk losing more than you can afford.
Mental and physical health
Things like getting enough sleep or having the right diet can also affect the time you can spend playing casino games. If you are well-rested and in good physical health, you can think clearly and enjoy longer gaming sessions. Being in good health can also help you make the right decisions when playing skill-based games, ultimately allowing you to play longer.
Winning and losing streaks
As all casino games depend on luck, it is inevitable to go through winning or losing streaks. The important thing is to avoid chasing losses as this could lead to spending hours gambling in an attempt to compensate for the amount you have lost. If you are enjoying a winning streak, it may be difficult to give up playing, even if you have been enjoying fruitful results for quite some time. Even though your emotions may be overwhelming in such situations, you must strive to be reasonable and stop playing when you have already spent several hours gambling.
Is There Specific Time You Should Spend Playing Casino Games?
We cannot give you a specific formula to follow when you are considering the optimal time you should spend playing casino games. That said, you may consider the optimal working time for most businesses. As both gambling and office work require the use of critical thinking, we can draw some similarities between the two industries.
Most studies show that the optimal time for critical thinking is estimated to be around four hours a day. Of course, most office jobs require employees to work for at least eight hours as it is rare for people to be fully productive for four hours straight. That said, the rule for the four hours of optimal brain work may be applied to gambling, recommending to players to avoid playing for longer than four hours.
You may have heard about pro gamblers spending way more than four hours gambling without any pause. However, as we mentioned earlier, there are different factors that may help professional gamblers to continuously play for numerous hours without experiencing serious declines.
Experienced players are rarely emotionally affected by winning and losing streaks. That allows them to stay focused on the gaming session and play longer without making mistakes based on emotional play.
While it is up to you to determine the right length for your gaming sessions, you should take into consideration all of the factors we have listed above. If you are still inexperienced in gambling, we recommend avoiding playing longer than four hours or maybe even cutting your gaming sessions shorter.
Effects of Mandatory Breaks on Online Gambling Sessions
In the last few years, different responsible gambling measures have been introduced to protect vulnerable individuals. One such measure implemented by the UK government was the introduction of obligatory breaks during online gambling. One of the latest studies on the effect of mandatory 60-minute breaks revealed that the newly imposed responsible gambling tool had a significant effect on the gambling behaviour of players.
The said study was conducted thanks to the online gambling operator Skillonnet, analysing player data from the gambling website 27 days before the mandatory break was implemented. To show the effect of the responsible gambling measure, the study also reviewed player data during the 27 days following the introduction of the new tool.
The study showed that for the period between July 23 and September 15 in 2021, some 2,021 players had deposited 10 or more times in a single day at least once. After the mandatory break was introduced the percentage of players who stopped making deposits due to the new measure surged from 27% to 68%. Meanwhile, the number of players who stopped gambling as a result of the obligatory breaks also increased from 0.1% to 45%.
In addition to implementing play breaks after players have reached one hour of gameplay, it is also possible for UK gambling operators to block a gaming session for a short period due to players showing excessive gambling patterns.
The same study also reviewed the impact the 60-minute breaks had on the loyalty of players. During the period of the conducted study, between 23rd and 29th July, a total of 301 players made at least 10 deposits in a single day. Some 124 of the said 301 players made at least one bet in the last week of the control period before the implementation of the measure. Meanwhile, 163 of the 333 players in the treatment group also placed at least one bet at the end of the period after the mandatory break was introduced.
During the control period, the gambling activity was higher by 7.7% than the wagering done during the treatment period. That indicated a small drop in the activity after the mandatory gambling breaks were implemented. That said, the measure can have quite the impact on minimising gambling harm among UK players.
Conclusion
As gambling can be very entertaining, especially if you are riding a winning streak, you can easily spend hours playing your favourite casino games. However, with time you may get tired, which can affect your decision-making ability. That is why it is important to manage the time you spend wagering on casino games.
Once your brain gets tired, you are prone to making more mistakes, which can be devastating for your gameplay, especially when playing skill-based games. What is more, it is important to have spending limits and stop playing once you have reached them.
As the duration of gaming sessions may also have a huge impact on the gambling behaviour of players, many jurisdictions, including the UK, have introduced mandatory breaks. That way, once 60 minutes pass, players are stopped from playing for a short period of time. Studies show that this type of responsible gambling measure is helpful when it comes to minimising gambling harms, allowing players to gain control over the time they spend playing online.
