Anyone else lose track of time completely when gambling with crypto?

Sadnica

Sadnica

Forum Member
Kinda concerned about my crypto gambling habits lately. Last night I sat down to play "just a few spins" at 10pm and suddenly it was 6am and I'd blown through 0.15 BTC without even realizing it.

The instant deposits/withdrawals and 24/7 availability of crypto casinos makes it way too easy to keep playing without the normal "breaks" you'd get at regular online casinos. No waiting for payment processing, no ID verification, just constant dopamine.

Had similar experiences at TG, Mega Dice and a couple others. The telegram-based ones are especially bad since I can literally gamble from anywhere on my phone.

Anyone else experienced this? How do you guys keep your crypto gambling in check? Starting to think I need to set some hard limits for myself.
 
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Been there man. Crypto gambling is designed to be addictive as hell - there's no friction to slow you down like there is with traditional casinos.

After losing about 2 BTC in a similar "time warp" session last year, I implemented some personal rules:

  1. Set timer alarms on my phone (45 mins max per session)
  2. Never gamble after midnight
  3. Keep crypto in cold storage that's a pain to access quickly
  4. Set strict deposit limits per day/week
  5. Never chase losses - if I lose my budgeted amount, I'm done for the week

Most crypto casinos offer self-exclusion and deposit limits in their responsible gambling tools. Use them. The ones that don't offer these tools are extra dangerous.

The "just one more spin" mentality is brutal with crypto casinos because there's zero delay between wanting to deposit more and actually doing it.
 
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I had to quit crypto gambling entirely for this exact reason. Started with casual play in 2021, within 6 months I was staying up all night multiple times a week and lost about 3.5 BTC in total (worth way more now obviously).


The instant nature of crypto gambling creates a "flow state" where you completely lose track of time and money. No waiting for deposits/withdrawals, no verification steps to slow you down - just pure gambling with minimal friction.


If you're concerned about your habits, that's already a warning sign. The tools suggested above help, but personally I had to just block all gambling sites and delete my casino accounts.


This article helped me understand what was happening (they have a section on responsible gambling with crypto)
 
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Been in recovery from crypto gambling addiction for 14 months now. Lost about 12 BTC total over two years before hitting my rock bottom.

The time distortion you described was one of my first warning signs that I ignored. It started with occasional all-nighters and progressed to multi-day binges where I'd call in sick to work.

What finally helped me:
  1. Complete self-exclusion from all gambling sites
  2. Moving all crypto to hardware wallets stored with a trusted family member
  3. Weekly therapy with a gambling addiction specialist
  4. Gamblers Anonymous meetings (they have crypto-specific ones now)
The hardest part to accept was that moderation wasn't possible for me. I tried deposit limits, time limits, etc., but always found ways around them when in the grip of urges.

If you're concerned enough to post about this, please take it seriously before it progresses further. The "time warp" experience is a major red flag from my experience.
 
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evilgiraffe said:
I had to quit crypto gambling entirely for this exact reason. Started with casual play in 2021, within 6 months I was staying up all night multiple times a week and lost about 3.5 BTC in total (worth way more now obviously).


The instant nature of crypto gambling creates a "flow state" where you completely lose track of time and money. No waiting for deposits/withdrawals, no verification steps to slow you down - just pure gambling with minimal friction.


If you're concerned about your habits, that's already a warning sign. The tools suggested above help, but personally I had to just block all gambling sites and delete my casino accounts.


This article helped me understand what was happening (they have a section on responsible gambling with crypto)
Click to expand...

jk994 said:
Been in recovery from crypto gambling addiction for 14 months now. Lost about 12 BTC total over two years before hitting my rock bottom.

The time distortion you described was one of my first warning signs that I ignored. It started with occasional all-nighters and progressed to multi-day binges where I'd call in sick to work.

What finally helped me:
  1. Complete self-exclusion from all gambling sites
  2. Moving all crypto to hardware wallets stored with a trusted family member
  3. Weekly therapy with a gambling addiction specialist
  4. Gamblers Anonymous meetings (they have crypto-specific ones now)
The hardest part to accept was that moderation wasn't possible for me. I tried deposit limits, time limits, etc., but always found ways around them when in the grip of urges.

If you're concerned enough to post about this, please take it seriously before it progresses further. The "time warp" experience is a major red flag from my experience.
Click to expand...

thanks for the honest responses. Those rules sound like a good starting point.

The scariest part was regularly checking the time while playing, thinking, "OK, just 30 more minutes," and then suddenly, 3 more hours would pass. I never had that with regular online casinos - probably because processing payments creates natural breaks.

Might try some of those deposit limits and timer alarms first. Self-exclusion feels like the nuclear option but maybe that's where this is headed.
 
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Casino industry worker here. What you're describing is something we call "the zone" - it's a dissociative state where players lose track of time and money. Crypto casinos have perfected creating this state by removing all friction from the gambling process.

Some responsible operators implement forced breaks, time displayed on screen, reality checks ("you've been playing for X hours"), and strict deposit limits. But many crypto casinos deliberately avoid these features because they reduce revenue.

Things that can help:
  1. Use casinos that display a clock and send reality check notifications
  2. Set deposit limits that can't be changed for at least 24 hours
  3. Use external software to limit your gambling time
  4. Never gamble when tired, depressed, or intoxicated
TG Casino actually has some decent responsible gambling tools (time limits, deposit caps, etc.) if you dig into their settings.
 
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crypto itself is already addictive with its volatility, charts, and 24/7 markets. Add gambling mechanics on top and it's a perfect storm.

I had a similar wake-up call in 2022 - sat down to play some slots at 8pm, looked up and it was 5am. Had blown through almost 0.4 BTC in one session.

What helped me:
  1. Using casinos with actual responsible gambling tools (time limits, deposit limits, etc.)
  2. Setting up a separate small "gambling wallet" with limited funds
  3. Having my girlfriend change my wallet passwords during the week
  4. Only gambling on weekends with preset limits

Mega Dice has actually implemented some decent responsible gambling features recently

But the most effective strategy was moving most of my crypto to cold storage that's a pain in the ass to access quickly. Creates that friction that crypto gambling tries to eliminate.
 
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For anyone reading this thread who's concerned about their gambling habits, there are resources that can help:


Most people don't realize that gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of any addiction, partly because of the financial devastation it can cause. Don't wait until rock bottom to reach out for help.

The fact that you're questioning your habits is a good sign - many problem gamblers remain in denial until they've lost everything.
Take care of yourselves. Money can be earned back, but time and mental health are precious.
 
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