The 5 Most Important Rules for Visiting a Real Casino

The UK casinos are set to reopen in July. I expect many of you are itching for a trip into town to have a flutter at your local casino. Sure, the online casinos have been a blessing during these times but they don’t have the action-packed atmosphere of a real casino.

Now that they’re finally letting us out, I can’t wait to get back to a place where there are actual, not virtual, people – squishy people that you can touch. Better not touch them, though. People might not like it. Even if they do, I think it might be a criminal offence to touch people on purpose unless they’re in your social bubble…or something…who knows?…

Too many rules!

And talking of rules, let’s get to the point of this blog: to outline the golden rules every gambler should follow when visiting a real casino.

The Golden Rules for Visting a Real Casino

Rule 1: Don’t Expect to Win

Gambling is supposed to be fun. Never go to the casino expecting or needing to win money. That’s not the point of gambling. It’s about the games, the atmosphere and entertainment.

Winning is a bonus.

Winning is a bonus.

Winning is a bonus.

I know I said that three times, but it’s something that you must understand if you want to have fun. And it doesn’t matter if you’re gambling online or in real life, winning is never the aim. Winning is only ever a happy coincidence.

Rule 2: Walk Away After a Big Win

Gambling does strange things to the brain. It can make you crazy, so when you win, you somehow think another – even bigger – one is just around the corner.

People seem to struggle to understand how odds work. It’s irrational. As we win, we think we’re on a streak and that the odds are getting better and better.

I think most of us understand that feeling but, to avoid disappointment, walk away after a win. The alternative usually entails staying at the table/slot machine and losing it all.

Rule 3: Leave Your Debit Card and Credit Card at Home

Budget how much you’re going to spend at the casino. Treat it like it’s a day trip somewhere, e.g., a day trip to the New Forest might cost you £60. Set that as a budget for the casino. Take the money out as cash or take a debit card that only lets you spend what’s in the account.

Leave everything else at home.

Rule 4: Don’t Cheat At a Real Casino

Yep, that sounds like a no-brainer to most of you, but some people will try it on anyway. It rarely ends well. The casinos expect people to try to play the system and, as such, they have one golden rule themselves: WATCH EVERYONE EVERYWHERE.

The real casinos observe your every move. They also know the tricks and scams to get real money. Unless you have an ingenious, never before seen scam, don’t even bother.

Rule 5: Address Underlying Mental Health/Mood Issues

Gambling can become an addiction, but it’s usually secondary to other types of mental health problem. For example, unmanaged ADHD, too much stress, and/or depression can exacerbate gambling problems.

Addressing any underlying issues before you go to the casinos can help you avoid creating more problems in your life.