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 affects players’ gambling patterns. That is why jurisdictions such as the UK have introduced limitations on gaming sessions.
Rarely are players concerned about how much time they spend gambling online. Of course, casino games tend to offer various enticing features that encourage players to spend as much time gambling as possible. However, it is extremely easy to lose track of time and play for hours, running through your bankroll without even realising it.
No matter how much fun you are having while playing your favourite casino games, you should always check how much time you have spent gambling. While there is no specific formula for how long you should gamble once you have started playing, you can certainly set limits that will ensure you remain in control of the time you spend gambling.
Factors That May Affect Length of Gaming Sessions
To help you determine the optimal amount of time to spend playing casino games, you might want to consider several factors. You should remember that there is no universal time limit that applies to every casino player, but you can see how many of the factors we list actually relate to your own gaming experience.
Playing chance-based games vs skill-based games
While all casino games depend on luck, some require strategy or specific skills. Games that require more time to consider your next move will naturally be played for longer. Skill-based games include blackjack and poker, as the strategies employed during play take longer to apply. Skill-based options can also drain you mentally, so you may need to take time out to clear your head and make sure you are not hasty with your decisions.
Meanwhile, slots, baccarat and roulette are games that do not require any serious skill and can be played for hours without leaving you mentally exhausted. That said, this means 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 affecting the duration of your gaming sessions. If you are less experienced, you may not play for long as you could become overwhelmed easily. However, the more experience you have with casino games, the longer you can play because you make many decisions automatically, without having to think them through. The more experienced you are in 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 influencing how long you play casino games is your budget. While it is logical to bet only what you can afford to lose, many players tend to gamble all their money and then some. Before you start playing, you should set a budget and stick to it. Once you reach that limit, you should not continue wagering, as you risk losing more than you can afford.
Mental and physical health
Factors such as getting enough sleep or maintaining a proper diet can also affect how long 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 healthy can also help you make the right decisions when playing skill-based games, ultimately allowing you to play for longer.
Winning and losing streaks
As all casino games depend on luck, it is inevitable that you will experience winning and losing streaks. The important thing is to avoid chasing losses, as this could lead to spending hours gambling in an attempt to recoup the money you have lost. If you are enjoying a winning streak, it may be difficult to stop playing, even if you have been successful for quite some time. Even though your emotions may be overwhelming in such situations, you must strive to be reasonable and stop playing once you have already spent several hours gambling.
Is There a Specific Time You Should Spend Playing Casino Games?
We cannot provide you with a precise formula when you are considering the optimal time you should spend playing casino games. That said, you may take into account the optimal working time suggested for most businesses. As both gambling and office work require critical thinking, we can draw some parallels between the two activities.
Most studies show that the optimal period for intensive cognitive work is around four hours a day. Of course, most office jobs require employees to work for at least eight hours because it is rare for people to be fully productive for four hours straight. Following the four-hour rule for optimal brain performance, players are advised to avoid gambling for longer than four hours.
You may have heard about professional gamblers spending far more than four hours gambling without any pause. However, as we mentioned earlier, there are different factors that may help professional gamblers play continuously for many hours without experiencing significant declines.
Experienced players are rarely emotionally affected by winning and losing streaks, which allows them to stay focused on the gaming session and play longer without making mistakes based on emotion.
While it is up to you to determine the right length for your gaming sessions, you should take into consideration all the factors we have listed above. If you are still inexperienced in gambling, we recommend not playing for longer than four hours, or perhaps cutting your gaming sessions even shorter.
Effects of Mandatory Breaks on Online Gambling Sessions
In the last few years, various responsible gambling measures have been introduced to protect vulnerable individuals. One such measure implemented by the UK government is the introduction of compulsory 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 impact on players’ behaviour.
The study was conducted with the help of the online gambling operator Skillonnet, analysing player data from the website 27 days before the mandatory break was implemented. To show the effect of the measure, the study also reviewed player data for the 27 days following the introduction of the new tool.
The analysis showed that during the period between 23 July and 15 September 2021, some 2,021 players had deposited ten or more times in a single day at least once. After the mandatory break was introduced, the percentage of players who stopped making deposits because of the new measure surged from 27% to 68%. Meanwhile, the number of players who stopped gambling as a result of the compulsory breaks also increased from 0.1% to 45%.
In addition to implementing play breaks after players have reached one hour of gameplay, UK gambling operators may also block a gaming session for a short period if players display excessive gambling patterns.
The same study also reviewed the impact the 60-minute breaks had on player loyalty. During the study period, between 23 and 29 July, a total of 301 players made at least ten deposits in a single day. Of those, 124 placed at least one bet in the last week of the control period before the measure was introduced. Meanwhile, 163 of the 333 players in the treatment group placed at least one bet at the end of the period after the mandatory break was introduced.
During the control period, gambling activity was 7.7% higher than the wagering recorded during the treatment period. This indicated a small drop in activity after the mandatory breaks were introduced. That said, the measure can still have a considerable impact on minimising gambling harm among UK players.
Conclusion
As gambling can be very entertaining, especially if you are enjoying a winning streak, you can easily spend hours playing your favourite casino games. However, over time you may become 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 becomes fatigued, you are prone to making more mistakes, which can be devastating for your gameplay, especially when playing skill-based games. Furthermore, it is important to set spending limits and stop playing once you have reached them.
As the length of gaming sessions may also have a huge impact on players’ behaviour, many jurisdictions, including the UK, have introduced mandatory breaks. In this way, once 60 minutes pass, players are prevented from playing for a short period. Studies show that this type of responsible gambling measure is effective in minimising gambling harms, allowing players to regain control over the time they spend online.
