Bankroll
A bankroll is the fixed amount of money you set aside for gambling and can afford to lose, kept separate from the money you need to live on.
Also called gambling budget, roll, bankroll management
Your bankroll is your gambling budget. You decide it in advance, it comes from spare money, and when it is gone you stop. Bet size is then set as a small share of it, so an ordinary bad run does not wipe you out early.
Example. You set a monthly bankroll of 200. You bet 1 a spin, which is 0.5% of it, on a slot with a 4% house edge. Over 1,000 spins you stake 1,000 and your expected loss is 40. At 20 a spin, the same 200 is only ten bets, and a short losing run ends the month in minutes.
What people get wrong. Bankroll management does not improve your odds. The house edge is the same at any stake. What it changes is how long your money lasts and how big the swings are, which also depends on volatility.
The other mistake is treating the bankroll as flexible: topping it up after a loss, or betting bigger with winnings because they feel free. Money for rent, bills or debts is never bankroll. If you keep going past your limit, casino limits and self-exclusion exist for that.
Related terms
- Volatility
Volatility is how much a game's results swing around its average, from small frequent wins at the low end to rare large wins at the high end.
- Variance
Variance is a measure of how far results are spread around their average, worked out as the average squared distance from the expected value.
- Martingale
The martingale is a betting system where you double your stake after every loss, hoping the next win recovers all your losses plus one base bet.
- Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is a tool that lets you ask a casino to block you from gambling with it for a set period or for good.