There are some questions that there are no definitive answers to. It is something of a cliche to ask ‘how long is a piece of string’, for example, and asking how much money you should take with you to a casino very much fits into the same category. That is because the answer will be different for everyone. The one constant that applies no matter your person circumstance is the fact that you should set yourself a limit before you head to the casino and then stick to it. The best thing to do is no exactly how much you can afford to lose and remove the chance to lose any more.
Obviously everyone heading to a casino or placing some other form of bet will be hoping to see a return on their bets, but the reality is that casinos are set up in order to take money from people, not see them walk away with more than they came in with. That is why it is so important to set yourself a limit on what you can afford to lose and make sure that you don’t lose any more than that. It will be a different amount for each person, so you will need to look at your own bank account and decide for yourself what that figure is.
How Much Can You Afford To Lose?
The most important thing that you need to establish before you head to a casino is the same thing that you need to know before you engage in any form of betting: how much can you afford to lose? This will be a different figure for each and every person, largely because some people are more able to handle the loss of significant sums than others. We couldn’t say that you should take £100, for example, because that would mean very little to a multi-millionaire, but a huge amount to someone that has lost their job.
It is also important that you know what ‘afford to lose’ means. If you have, say, £2,000 in your bank account and don’t have any outgoings, you could technically afford to lose £2,000. Thinking more sensibly, however, you shouldn’t go in to any situation and be willing to lose all of the money that you have. Instead, you should set yourself a limit that is based more on a percentage of your available money, which you can then not worry too much about if the casino ends up removing it from you when you place your bets.
It Is Subjective
There is no set answer to how much anyone can afford to lose. As a result, the answer to the question of how much your should take with you to a casino is entirely dependent on your own person circumstances. Similarly, not everyone is going to bet on the same sort of thing, nor bet in the same manner. One person might be a keen roulette player but only play the minimum bet each time, for example, whilst someone else might play blackjack and spend £100 per hand. In both instances, the amount of money needed will differ.
You know your own personal circumstance better than anyone, as well as what games it is that you like to play when you’re in a casino. There is no point taking £50, as an example, if you are going to be placing £100 bets and therefore need to get money out of a cash machine or similar whilst you’re there. Equally, taking £1,000 is likely to result in your betting more and losing more than you need to if you’re planning on spending £1 per go every time you place a wager. Think about what you tend to do and work backwards from there.
Avoid Changing Your Loss Limit
Once you have figured out how much you can afford to lose and the type of gambling that you’re going to engage in, the next thing that you’ll want to do is to ensure that you can’t lose any more money than that. One of the best ways to do that is by leaving your cash cards at home so that you aren’t tempted to try to use them in order to get more money out. As Oscar Wilde once said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” The best way of resisting temptation is to remove any ability to fall victim of it as best you can.
Of course, sometimes it is all but impossible to head to a casino without your cards. It is possible, for example, that you’ve decided to head there last minute after being out for dinner or drinks and just naturally have your cards on you. If that’s the case, the best thing to do is to withdraw your loss limit in cash and then not use your card again. If possible, you could do something such as give your cards to a friend or relative and ask them not to allow you to use them regardless of how much you ask them to let you do so.
Treat It As Entertainment
Whether you’re betting on sports, playing bingo or heading to a casino, the company offering you their service is setup to take your money off you. That means that the longer you bet for you, the more likely it is that you’re going to lose your money. With this in mind, one of the best things that you can do before you head to a casino is to try to change your mindset. Rather than heading there in an attempt to increase your funds, you should instead view it as paying a fee for your entertainment for the time that you’re there.
That is to say, you would happily part with money if you went to see a theatre show or go to a cinema, not then paying to see another play or film if you didn’t like what you saw. Spending time in a casino, especially if it is with friends or family, should be a fun experience and one that you enjoy. Think of any money that you lose as the cost of the entertainment, rather than putting yourself in a position where you need to try to chase any losses. It is a small mental adjustment, but it can make a big difference to how you feel about any losses.