Most new players think about games, bonuses and “lucky slots”. Very few think about bankroll management – until they have a couple of brutal sessions and wonder how the balance disappeared so fast.

This guide shows how to treat your casino money like a proper bankroll: how much to deposit, what bet sizes make sense, how to split money into sessions, and how to avoid the classic traps that destroy budgets even on perfectly fair games.

Key idea: you cannot control outcomes, but you can control how much you risk, how fast you lose and when you stop. Good bankroll management turns gambling from a panic spiral into a predictable expense.

1. What is a bankroll and why you need one

Your bankroll is the total amount of money you are prepared to lose on casino games over a period of time – a month, a quarter, a year. It should be:

Without a defined bankroll, every loss feels personal and every win feels like a solution. That is exactly the mindset that leads to chasing losses and random deposits at 2 AM.

Quick rule: if losing the amount you want to deposit would make you stressed for days, the amount is too high for your bankroll.

2. Step one: set a monthly gambling budget

A simple way to start is to choose a monthly budget for all gambling combined. Think of it like a subscription for entertainment.

For example:

This does not guarantee you will play profitably, but it guarantees you limit the damage. Most problems start when people keep topping up “just one more time” with money that was not in any plan.

3. How to pick a sensible bet size

Bet size is where most bankrolls die. New players often bet too big for their budget, then feel unlucky when variance does its normal job.

Basic guideline

For slots, a common recommendation is to keep your average bet at about 0.5–1% of your total bankroll.

Example:

For table games like blackjack or roulette, you can use a similar percentage or go even lower if you prefer long sessions with small swings.

Rough rule of thumb: aim for at least 200–300 bets per session with your budget. If you only have 20–30 bets in the tank, a normal losing streak can wipe you out quickly.

4. Session bankrolls: splitting the pie

Playing your entire monthly budget in one night is technically “within the limit”, but it is not great bankroll management. A better approach is to split your total bankroll into smaller session bankrolls.

Example with a €200 monthly bankroll:

Before each session, decide:

Once the session bankroll is gone or you hit the stop-win, you log out. You do not raid the rest of the month’s budget because you felt “unlucky”.

5. Stop-loss and stop-win: giving the session walls

Stop-loss is a predefined limit where you end the session if things go badly. Stop-win is the opposite – a profit point where you are happy enough to quit.

Example session with €50

These numbers are personal, but the idea is universal: you create exit points so that emotional decisions do not dominate once you are in the heat of play.

Pro tip: you do not need a stop-win for every session, but having one helps you actually keep big wins instead of giving them all back “because the slot is hot”.

6. Adjusting for volatility and game type

Not all games behave the same. High-volatility slots (big potential, long dead periods) require smaller bet sizes and more patience than low-volatility “small hit” games.

Low volatility example

If you are playing a low-volatility slot, betting €1 from a €100 session bankroll might be okay: you expect frequent small wins that keep your balance alive.

High volatility example

On a bonus-buy, ultra-volatile slot, the same €1 from €100 can be too aggressive. The game might go 100 spins without anything exciting. For that style of game, you might want to bet €0.20–€0.40 instead, or accept that the session will be very swingy.

Rule: the higher the volatility, the smaller your bet should be as a percentage of your bankroll. Do not use “crazy” games with “crazy” stakes.

7. Bankroll management with bonuses

Bonuses change how your bankroll behaves because they add extra balance but also add restrictions. Good bankroll management means understanding how those two sides interact.

Example

In this setup, it makes sense to keep average bets at €1–€2. This gives you enough spins to work through wagering without hitting the max-bet rule or going bust in 10 minutes.

If you instead start with €4–€5 spins “because you have a big balance now”, you increase the chance that normal variance empties the account long before you finish the requirements.

Practical takeaway: when playing with a bonus, base your bet sizing on real-money bankroll and the max bet rule, not on the inflated combined balance.

8. Common bankroll mistakes new players make

All of these are emotional reactions to variance, not strategic decisions. They make you blow through your bankroll much faster than the underlying house edge alone would.

9. Tracking your results (without spreadsheets obsession)

You do not need advanced software to manage a simple recreational bankroll. A basic log is enough:

Over time, you will see:

Tip: if you are afraid to look at your real numbers, that is already a signal that your bankroll might be out of control. Transparency with yourself is part of good management.

10. Simple quick rules you can apply today

To wrap everything up, here are easy rules you can start using right away:

Bottom line: bankroll management will not turn a negative-expectation game into a guaranteed profit, but it controls the downside and lets you enjoy casino games as entertainment instead of a financial emergency. If it stops feeling like entertainment, it is time to step back and rethink.