Land-based and online slot machines are by far the most popular casino games — and for good reason. In relation to money spent, online slots offer large payouts, require little to no skill, are easy to play, and, most importantly, offer endless hours of entertainment.

That said, if there‘s one online casino game that is notorious for chewing its way through your bankroll at an exceptional speed, it’s a slot machine. Many people believe that slot machines are rigged simply because of how quickly they spend their money on them. We can assure you, however, that slot machines are just as trustworthy as any of the other games in the casino.

More often than not, blowing through your bankroll quickly is a sign of poor money management rather than an unfair casino game. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to make your bankroll go further. Borgata Online offers some of the best online casino games for players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to choose from, including a long list of online slot games. 

If you’re thinking of starting your online slot adventure at Borgata Online, here are some top tips for ensuring that you spend as much time as you’d like at the slots without running out of money too soon. 

What Is Bankroll Management?

Simply put, your bankroll is the money you’ve set aside for the casino games you intend to play. This should be money you’ve allocated specifically for gambling and should never include money you rely on to pay important bills or cover your day-to-day expenses. As the old adage goes, never bet more than you can afford to lose. Bankroll management is the practice of managing your gambling budget sensibly, including sticking to your budget, making your bankroll last as long as possible, and (with any luck) growing your bankroll. 

Whether you’re playing online poker, roulette, slots, or any other casino game, effective bankroll management is something that cannot be left out of your strategy — it’s key to getting the most out of your gambling budget. Knowing how much of your bankroll you should bet will not only help you play your favorite game for longer but will also prevent you from spending too much, chasing losses, and wasting your hard-earned cash. 

Why Is Managing Your Bankroll Important When You Play Slots?

When you’re playing online slots (or any other casino game) at Borgata Online, managing your bankroll carefully is crucial. So, what are some of the benefits of effective bankroll management for online slot games?

• Limited losses: Effective bankroll management helps you control how much money you spend on slots, reducing the risk of significant losses. By setting limits on how much you’re willing to lose, you prevent yourself from chasing losses or spending more than you can afford.
• Prolonged playtime: Proper bankroll management allows you to stretch your funds and extend your playing time. 
• Minimized risk: By only wagering a small percentage of your total bankroll per spin, you decrease the risk of depleting your funds too quickly.
• Preserving profits: When you’re lucky enough to hit a winning streak, managing your bankroll ensures that you don’t squander your profits by continuing to play recklessly, helping you to build your bankroll instead of depleting it. 
• Maintaining discipline: Having a bankroll management strategy in place helps you to stay disciplined and avoid impulsive decisions. It encourages rational decision-making based on predetermined rules rather than emotions or impulses.
• Enhanced enjoyment: Gambling should be a form of entertainment, not a source of stress or financial hardship. Effective bankroll management allows you to enjoy the excitement of playing slots for longer with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re equipped to take a step back if need be. 

Managing your bankroll when playing slots is essential for responsible gambling. It helps you maintain control over your finances, minimize losses, and maximize your enjoyment while you’re playing. Here are some helpful bankroll management tips to make sure you stay within your casino budget.

1. Slow Down

While this may seem like a simple tip, don’t be fooled — it’s an incredibly effective way to make your bankroll go further and is something most players really struggle with. Think about it — how many times in a row are you pressing the spin button? Many players let their excitement get the better of them, and within a couple of minutes, they’ve smashed the spin button into oblivion, and they’re $20 into the $100 bankroll. Slowing down is as simple as taking a breath between each spin. Be conscious of the act of pressing the button, and don’t just play on autopilot. 

It’s not unheard of to spin 400 times in an hour. If you’re betting $0.30 per spin, you’re spending $120 on the high side. By just taking your time, you could cut your number of spins by at least half, which means you’d only be spending $60 an hour.

2. Smaller Coin Size

Gone are the days of having to use a default coin size for online casino games. You can now bet between a minimum and maximum amount for each game and, depending on the slot game you’re playing, bet sizes can now be as low as $0,01 per spin. Many slot players wonder if placing the maximum bet will increase their chances of winning online slots. However, because slot machines use random number generators (RNGs) to ensure the spin results are random, in most cases, the size of your bet doesn’t affect how likely you are to win. That said, there are a few exceptions to this, so it’s important to read the game rules before you play. Yes, bigger bets will generally give you an opportunity to win bigger prizes, and in some slot games, you’ll need to place a bet of a certain amount to qualify for the jackpot, but, in general, your bet size should not affect your odds.

Playing smaller coins is undoubtedly a good way to extend your bankroll. If you’re betting a $1 coin on a 50-line slot, you’re risking $50 a spin. Reduce your bet size per spin, and your money will go further.

3. Adjust To Fewer Paylines if You Can

Another useful slot bankroll management tip is to lower the number of active paylines you’re betting on. Luckily, these days not all slots have a set number of paylines, and many online casino games will allow you to adjust how many paylines you’d like to use. Of course, a heap of paylines makes the game exciting by increasing your chances of winning. However, finding a happy medium is the answer to making your bankroll for slot machines go further.

Instead of playing with 50 paylines, try reducing them to 20, 15, or even 10, and you’ll notice that your money goes a lot further. 

It may even be beneficial to look for a slot game that doesn’t use a payline mechanic and, therefore, doesn’t charge per payline. Several slots at Borgata Online use a Win Ways or Ways to Win mechanic, which gives players anywhere from a couple hundred to more than 100,000 ways to win. Without a standard payline system, players typically place a flat bet per spin rather than betting on individual paylines. If you want to manage your slot bankroll more effectively, this can be extremely beneficial because you won’t have to worry about activating or deactivating specific paylines (or how much you should bet on each of them). Instead, you can focus on the overall bet size per spin. 

4. Always Know the Volatility Rating

Many players are attracted to high-volatility slots because of the excitement of winning big. However, developers and casinos need to make some of their money back on machines that give out huge jackpots, which means that the winnings between each jackpot are nothing to write home about.

Check the volatility rating on the machine, and if it’s high, chances are you’re going to burn through your cash faster than you would on a slot with lower volatility. Choose a machine with low-to-medium volatility that will award you more frequent prizes of better value rather than burn through your bankroll in the hope of hitting the grand jackpot.

5. Pick Slot Machines with Higher RTPs

The return to player (RTP) statistic refers to the percentage of overall stakes that will be returned to players over the long run. This is important to consider when you’re choosing a game that will help your bankroll go further. The average RTP of slots is around 96%, and you should be extremely careful about going any lower than this. The higher the RTP, the more likely you are to get frequent payouts throughout the course of your gaming, which will help your bankroll last longer.

6. Take Advantage of Borgata Online’s Exclusive Online Casino Promotions

Nearly all casinos have some sort of promotion on their games, and this also applies to slots. You’re likely to find something along the lines of deposit bonuses, VIP programs, or free spins to take advantage of. Here’s what to expect:

• Deposit bonus: A percentage of your deposit will be matched by the casino. For example, if you get a 50% deposit bonus up to $1000 and you deposit $500, you’ll get an extra $250 in credits to play with.
• Free spins: We all know about free spins, but in some cases, casinos will actually give you free spins to use on a game without having to win them.
• VIP programs: VIP programs, loyalty programs, call them what you will, but casinos do reward return players with perks. These vary from casino to casino but can include higher limits, exclusive VIP bonuses, and cashback, to name just a few.

You’ll be eligible to register and use these promotions, long as you’re physically playing from within the legal U.S. casino states of New Jersey or Pennsylvania, where Borgata Online is legally active. However, remember that you must always check out the Terms and Conditions of promotions before taking advantage of them. Borgata Online offers a long list of regularly updated online casino bonuses, including some promotions that may be used on online slot games. 

7. Look for Slots With Special Bonus Features

Bonus rounds are a great interactive way to take a break from your game and make your bankroll go further. It means that you’re still playing without dipping into your own money. This is why finding slots with extra features is a wonderful way to spend more time on games without spending all your money.

Free spins, for example, shouldn’t be underrated. Many players don’t enjoy them as much as interactive bonus rounds, but essentially you’re getting between 5 and 100 spins (or more) that you didn’t have to pay for. This takes up time, but it also saves you money and, if you’re lucky, will win you money, too.

Remember that free spins can also trigger additional features, which could increase your chances of winning even more.

Another feature to look out for is a cascading reels mechanic. In online slots with cascading reels, every time you form a winning combination, the symbols involved are removed from the reels, and new ones drop into the empty spaces. If another winning combination is formed, the process repeats itself until no more winning symbols drop. Then you’re free to spin again. This feature could potentially trigger multiple consecutive wins for one spin, some of which come with increasing multipliers to boost your payout even more.

8. Be Aware of LDWs

An LDW is a term for losses disguised as wins. It occurs when the amount you win from a spin is less than each spin is worth. It may feel like you’re winning when, in fact, your bankroll is slowly being depleted.

Be aware of how much you’re winning and if it is worth continuing. It’s easy to keep spinning when the game has told you that you’ve won without checking out whether you’re actually making or losing money. 

9. Get a Betting Bankroll Management App

A betting bankroll management app and bankroll calculator can help you determine how much money you’ll need to cover all the casino games you want to play. You can also look at the potential money you can win. Having a bankroll management app will give you realistic expectations at the casino. By using a betting bankroll calculator, you’ll have the ease of knowing whether you’re still within your casino bankroll budget or if it’s time to take a break.

Play Online Slots at Borgata Online

These are just some of the ways in which you can make your bankroll go further when you play slot machines. Borgata Online has a wide range of slots available with exciting features, promotions, and bonuses for you to choose from. Now that you know how to make your bankroll work for you as part of your time management skills, you’re sure to have a wonderful time playing your favorite casino games. Register now and play your favorite jackpot slots and other casino games wherever you are.