Limits, time-outs and self-exclusion
A limit is a decision made by the version of you that is not currently playing. That is its entire value. Everything below is about making that decision early enough to matter, and choosing the instrument that fits the situation.
The four settings, and what each one actually restrains
| Setting | Restrains | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit limit (day / week / month) | How much money can enter the account | Always. This is the baseline setting. |
| Loss limit | Net losses within a period, regardless of turnover | Sessions tend to run long with money cycling in and out |
| Session limit and reminder | Time, not money | Play stretches past the point where it was still enjoyable |
| Time-out (24 hours to several months) | Access to the account entirely, temporarily | A single bad evening, or a week that needs a hard stop |
The important asymmetry: tightening a limit takes effect immediately, while loosening one is subject to a waiting period at any operator worth using. If a request to raise a cap is granted instantly, that tells you something about the operator that no review score will.
How to choose a number that survives contact with an evening
Start from the household budget rather than from the bankroll. The amount that belongs in a gambling account is the amount that can disappear without changing a single other decision that month — not the amount that should be enough. Set the monthly deposit limit to that figure, then set the weekly limit to roughly a quarter of it, so that a bad Saturday cannot consume the month in one sitting.
Add a session reminder at 45 or 60 minutes. Its purpose is not to end the session but to interrupt it, because the thing that erodes a budget is rarely a decision — it is the absence of one. And write down the finishing time before starting, in the same way one does with a cinema ticket. A session with an end is entertainment; a session without one is an open tab.
Time-out or exclusion: they are not the same instrument
A time-out is a pause with a date on it. The account survives, the balance survives, and access returns automatically when the period expires. It is the right tool for a rough patch, a stressful month, or the simple recognition that the last few sessions were not fun.
Self-exclusion is a different order of decision. It closes access for a long period or permanently, it is not reversible on request, and it usually removes the account from promotional mailings as well. Choosing it is not an admission of failure; it is the same category of act as cancelling a subscription that has stopped paying for itself.
Why a German OASIS exclusion is stronger than either
Germany operates a central exclusion register called OASIS, technically run by the regional administration in Darmstadt on behalf of the supervisory authorities. An entry there is not a setting inside one account — it is a national block. Every operator holding a German permit must check the register before allowing play: online slots, online poker, sports betting, betting shops, arcades and land-based casinos. One request, and all of them close simultaneously.
The minimum duration is three months, and the entry does not expire by itself. It ends only when the excluded person applies for removal, and never before the minimum has elapsed. Deliberately, the exit is slower than the entrance.
Richroyal is outside this system. It does not appear on the whitelist of the joint gambling authority, so the register cannot reach it and an OASIS entry will not close its doors. Anyone who needs an exclusion that holds everywhere needs OASIS, and OASIS is accessible through operators inside the German permit regime. Anyone who needs a block here has the operator's own tools and nothing behind them — which is a reason to use them earlier and more strictly, not later.
Blocks that work from your side of the screen
- Payment-level blocks. Many German banks and card issuers can block gambling merchant categories on request; some banking apps expose the switch directly. This works regardless of which operator is involved.
- Device-level filters. Blocking software restricts gambling domains across a device or a household network. Not unbeatable, but it converts an impulse into a task.
- Remove stored payment details from browser and wallet. The friction of re-entering card numbers is small, and small friction is exactly what an impulse cannot survive.
- Unsubscribe from promotional mail and push notifications before setting any limit, because a reactivation offer arriving at the wrong hour undoes careful settings.
Where the free support is
The BZgA programme Spielen mit Verantwortung, the self-assessment service Check dein Spiel, and the addiction counselling centres funded by each federal state all advise free of charge and anonymously, including relatives. None of them requires an operator's cooperation, and none of them asks where the money went. The wider context for these tools is set out under responsible gambling; the account settings themselves are found in the operator's profile area, described under registration.
Anyone under 18 is not permitted to gamble. If reading this page produced recognition rather than information, the counselling services above are the next step, and they are the one part of this subject that costs nothing at all.