Bankroll management at online casinos: Our tips
Managing your bankroll is an essential skill if you want your online casino sessions to go smoothly. While online casinos are entirely based on chance, you can still influence your balance through smart money management.
From the moment you deposit money on a casino site, there are certain rules you absolutely need to follow.
Over the years, The FXI Team has made plenty of mistakes while playing, which have helped us improve our money management skills. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or a complete beginner, you’ll find valuable insights in this article.
Building a Bankroll
The first thing to do before embarking on an online casino adventure is to build your bankroll. But how do you do that?
We won’t tell you how much to deposit on a casino site—that’s your decision to make. However, always keep this in mind: all the money you deposit on an online casino should be considered lost in advance! Only play with what you can afford to lose.
Set a specific budget for online casino play. For example, you might allocate 1% of your monthly salary.
Here’s a tip: set a monthly deposit limit directly in your player account on the casino where you play.
For instance, on Fatboss Casino, you can set daily, weekly, and monthly limits.
Take Advantage of Bonuses
Now that you have an idea of what you’re going to deposit, the next step is finding where to do it. Here’s a list of our favorite casinos.
A minimum deposit between R10 and R20 is typically required.
If you trust our recommendations, you can even take advantage of an exclusive welcome offer.
- Casino Extra: R600 bonus + 100 free spins on Hades Gigablox (R0.10 per spin)
- Fatboss: R500 bonus + 100 free spins
- Banzai Slots: 100% up to R250 + 300 free spins (minimum deposit of R30) on Hanzo’s Dojo (R0.10 per spin)
- Wild Sultan: 100% up to R500 + 20 free spins
- Dublinbet: 150% up to R150 + 100 free spins on Hades Gigablox
Understand the Rules of the Game
Once you’ve deposited your money, it’s important to understand how the games work. Even though your choices won’t affect the outcome of slot machine spins, it’s still better to understand the game.
We recommend reading the rules of the slot machine before you start playing.
If you need more information on a specific game, we review the best games in our slot machine section.
But it’s not just about slots. You might also enjoy the live games section, which includes:
- Roulette
- Blackjack
- Ultimate Poker
- Crazy Time
- Mega Ball
In table games, you make decisions that can impact the outcome. But to make the right choices, you must first understand the rules. Some games can be tricky to grasp, which is why we’ve written detailed guides on the most popular ones.
If you want to adopt strategies or use mathematically optimal techniques, like the blackjack chart, you’ll find our articles on these topics in the tutorial section.
We also have articles explaining how the online casino world works, as well as tips to enhance your user experience.
How Much Should I Bet?
How much should I bet? This is the question every casino player asks themselves. It might seem trivial, but it’s critically important.
Based on our extensive experience, The FXI Team has two key pieces of advice. Your bet size depends on two factors:
- Your play style: Do you want to take big risks for potentially bigger rewards? Or would you rather play conservatively and extend your bankroll?
- The type of game: Your bets will vary depending on whether you’re playing blackjack or slot machines.
Live Games
In live games, your bets are typically larger than elsewhere.
For example, in blackjack, bets can be up to 10% of your balance. For more aggressive players, this percentage could be even higher.
For us, it depends on our balance. If we’re nearing the end of a session, we might bet up to 100% of our remaining balance. But if our balance is healthy, we usually bet between 5% and 10% of it.
We recommend managing your bets based on how you feel, but always stick to your game plan.
Slot Machines
On average, slot machines have a theoretical return to player (RTP) of 96%. However, some games are highly volatile, while others are less so.
For highly volatile slots like Gates of Olympus or Mental, we typically bet between 0.10% and 0.20% of our balance. This gives us some flexibility in case the slot isn’t paying out well.
For medium or low-volatility slots, we increase our bet to 0.50% of our balance. This might seem high to some, but these games tend to provide more consistent returns.
We frequently play Sweet Bonanza, a game with relatively low volatility.
Bonus Hunt
A bonus hunt involves playing a slot machine until you trigger a bonus round and then exiting the game before the free spins start. Many players engage in bonus hunts, but it’s challenging to know the optimal bet size.
When we do a bonus hunt, our average bet is 0.1% of our starting balance. However, we may adjust this depending on how the hunt progresses.
If things are going well, we’ll increase the bet to 0.5% as we near the end of our balance.
Before attempting a bonus hunt, we recommend checking if the casino allows this strategy.
Bankroll Management Strategies
We’ve shared the key points to be mindful of. Over the years, we’ve tested various bankroll management strategies.
There are three strategies we use regularly, and they can be adapted to any type of player.
Of course, even the best bankroll management can’t guarantee success in an online casino. The game is still based on chance.
Even if you follow all our advice, you can still lose if luck isn’t on your side.
Flat Betting
Flat Betting is one of the simplest and most widely used bankroll management strategies. The concept is straightforward:
- You always bet the same amount, regardless of your bankroll’s evolution.
This strategy is great for those who don’t want to overthink their betting decisions. We often use this method when playing with a bonus, as it helps us track where we are in the wagering process.
Progressive Betting
The second strategy is Progressive Betting. Depending on how your session is going, you can adjust your bets.
If things are going well, we recommend increasing your bet from 0.2% to 0.3% or even 0.4% of your balance.
If luck isn’t on your side, you can decrease your bet to 0.1% or even 0.05% of your balance.
We recommend setting specific benchmarks before adjusting your bet. For instance, if your balance reaches R150, only change your bet if you hit R100 or R200.
Confidence-Based Betting
Your intuition also plays an important role. If you feel that luck is on your side, you can raise your bet.
On the other hand, if you sense the slots aren’t paying out, you can lower your initial bets.
Contrary to popular belief, intuition is a crucial factor in casino play.
The FXI Team encourages you to use these strategies to better manage your bankroll and improve your online casino experience. But always remember, the casino is a game of chance!
