Gambling is a fun way to spend free time. While most people play the lottery or buy scratch cards from time to time, signing up on an online casino’s websites and playing casino games are not all that common. You might have heard a story how a gambling addict lost all his money, or how somebody won a fortune on a slot game but in fact, the vast majority of gamblers just play for fun and don’t spend more on gambling than they would on drinks in a bar or on tickets for the cinema or a concert. 

Gambling should be for just entertainment and not a way of making money and we have made a quick guide on what to consider before starting gambling. Hungarian iGaming expert, Szilvia Sultes shared her thoughts with us about what newbie gamblers should watch out for. You can read more about Szilvia here. 

Choosing the online casino

If you are a player from Hungary, you will be happy to know that there are dozens of online casinos that accept Hungarian players. On the online casino magyarország website, you will find a list of these casinos together with their ratings. Each casino is reviewed and you can find out about their game selections, website usability, reliability, the payment options they offer and more. 

At the bottom section of each casino review, you will find reviews that players left. It is a good idea to read these so that you will know what to expect. 

Games and their odds

Every game offers different odds and payouts. Whatever game you choose, you should know what its house edge is. The house edge is basically the profit that the casino is going to have in the long run. The lower the house edge, the better chances you will have at winning. Games that offer the lowest house edge are blackjack, craps, baccarat and video poker. The house edge is the highest on games like keno and bingo while roulette and slot machines are in the middle. 

Apart from the house edge, you should also consider a game’s volatility. That is how often and how much they pay out. A slot machine with low volatility will pay out small sums regularly while a high volatility one will pay less often but bigger sums. 

In Hungary, every week about 1.3 million people play the popular ötöslottó which is a typical example of high volatility. On the other hand, with certain scratch cards, every third one wins but chances are you barely win back the money you paid for the card in the first place. 

Manage your bankroll

If you are new to gambling it is very easy to lose too much too quickly. You should decide how much money you can afford to lose and stick to that some. You can make a weekly and monthly budget and if you have played it all, be patient and wait for next week or next month before you hit the casino again. On most casino’s websites, you can set your limits and if you reach those the casino will not let you play more. This is in line with their social responsibility guidelines. 

If your bankroll is very limited stick to games with minimum limits. For example, if you play a slot game where the minimum bet is 1 cent you can easily play for an hour with 5 euros. However, the 5 euros might bet the minimum limit in a poker game and you can easily lose it in a couple of minutes. 

Play free games first

Many games online can be played for free. Online casinos usually offer free or demo versions of their games to try. Obviously, you can’t win any money with these games but you can get some practice before you risk any of your hard-earned money. Even simple games, like slots, can have so many paylines and special bonuses that it is not straightforward right away. 

Practicing card games like blackjack and poker is also a good idea before you play against the dealer or other players. In a free game, nobody will be urging you so you will have time to get your head around the game.

Conclusion

If you are new to gambling and you want to be enjoying casinos to the maximum you should read casino reviews from professionals and from fellow players before you sign up on one. Find out about what odds you have and how much payout you can expect from your game of choice. Practice with free games in the beginning and decide on your payroll for the month.