How to use reality checks on casino apps
How to use reality checks on casino apps: open the account menu, go to Safer Gambling, choose Reality Check and pick how often you want a reminder, such as every 30 minutes. When it pops up, it shows how long you’ve been playing and pauses play until you respond. Use that moment to check your history and decide, deliberately, whether to carry on.
By the Best Casino Apps UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- A reality check is a timed pop-up that shows how long your session has lasted and pauses new games until you respond.
- You set the interval in the app’s safer gambling menu, and can change it at any time.
- UK rules require casinos to offer reality checks and to show elapsed time throughout casino play.
- The reminder works best with a plan: a time and money limit decided before you start.
- Free support is available 24/7 on the National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133.
- What it does
- Shows session time and pauses new games
- Where to set it
- Account > Safer Gambling > Reality Check
- Change it
- Any time, from the same menu
- Rule behind it
- UKGC remote technical standard RTS 13
- Helpline
- 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7
How to use reality checks on casino apps: setting one up
Reality checks are in every UK-licensed casino app, normally alongside deposit limits and time-outs. Menu names differ, so look for Reality Check, Session Reminder or Time Reminder.
- Log in and tap the account icon, your name or your balance.
- Open Safer Gambling, Responsible Gambling or Gambling Controls.
- Tap Reality Check.
- Choose an interval from the list, for example every 15, 30 or 60 minutes.
- Tap Save or Confirm. Some apps show when the first reminder will appear.
- Read any note about whether the setting applies to every session or only this one.
If you can’t find the option, ask customer support where it sits in that app, or set it on the casino’s website; the setting belongs to your account, so it normally follows you between devices. The reality check glossary entry gives a short definition, and our page on why casino apps show reality checks covers the background.
What the reality check pop-up shows
When the interval passes, the app puts a message over the game. At minimum it shows how long has passed since your session began, and you have to acknowledge it before it disappears. A new spin or hand can’t start until you do. Most apps give you some or all of these choices:
- Continue, which closes the message and restarts the timer.
- View history or Account history, which opens your recent transactions so you can see what you’ve staked and won.
- Leave game or Log out, which ends the session there and then.
Some apps also show your wins and losses for the session. Even when they don’t, the history link is worth a tap; our guide to checking your play history explains where to find it and how to read it.
The UK rules behind reality checks
The Gambling Commission’s remote technical standards, in a section called RTS 13, set out what apps must provide. The main points are:
- Customers must be able to set how often reality checks appear, through easy-to-reach settings, and change the interval at any time.
- Preset intervals must cover a reasonable range, and if the app offers a default, it must be the shortest option.
- The reminder must show the time since the session started and must be acknowledged to clear it.
- It should give a way to leave the session or log out, and link to your account history.
- Players should get a clear explanation of how reality checks work, and be told if a setting needs to be made again each session.
- Casino games must also show elapsed time throughout play, and a full-screen app that hides your phone’s clock should show the time or how long it has been running.
These sit beside the slot design rules covered in UK slot design rules on mobile, such as the 2.5-second minimum spin and the ban on autoplay.
Account-wide or game-by-game: how apps apply reality checks
The standards allow three approaches, so the same setting can behave differently from one app to another.
| Approach | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Account level | One timer from when you start playing, carried across sessions | Whether it starts at first game or at login |
| Product level | A separate timer for each game session | Whether you need to set it each time you open a game |
| Hybrid | Different timers for groups of games, such as slots and live casino | Which group each reminder belongs to |
If several games are open across a session, the timer counts from the first one. Where the app can’t remember your preference between logins, it has to tell you, so read the note on the settings screen.
Choosing a reality check interval
Time passes faster in a casino app than most people expect, partly because each round is short and there’s no natural break. Slots in Great Britain must take at least 2.5 seconds per spin, which still allows up to 24 spins a minute. At £1 a spin, that’s as much as £1,440 staked in an hour. On a slot returning 96% over the long run, the expected cost of that hour is around £58, although any single session can land well above or below it.
| Interval | Suits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest available | Fast slots, or anyone who loses track of time | More chances to pause before a session runs on |
| Around 30 minutes | Most casual sessions | Frequent enough to catch drift without constant interruption |
| Around 60 minutes | Slower table games or live casino | Rounds take longer, so fewer bets fit into each hour |
A shorter interval is rarely the wrong choice. If you find yourself clicking Continue without reading, shorten it rather than lengthening it. Our page on house edge explains why losses are the likely result over time.
Turning the pop-up into a real decision
A reality check only helps if you pause when it appears. A simple routine can make that automatic:
- Before you start, decide two numbers: how long you’ll play and how much you’re prepared to spend.
- When the reminder appears, read the time on it before tapping anything.
- Tap View history and compare what you’ve spent with the number you set.
- If you’re past either limit, choose Leave game or Log out.
- If you’re within both, continue, knowing the next reminder will ask the same questions.
Reality checks in live casino and table games
Reality checks apply to all casino games, not just slots. The standards let a reminder wait until a round finishes, and while it’s on screen you can’t commit money to a new game. The one exception is a mid-game decision that needs extra money, such as doubling down or splitting in blackjack, which you can complete. Non-slot casino games have also had a minimum of five seconds per round and no autoplay since January 2025. See our guides to live casino on mobile and blackjack on mobile.
Phone settings that back up a reality check
Your phone has its own time tools, which work across every app, not just one casino.
- iPhone: Screen Time > App Limits lets you set a daily time allowance for a casino app, after which it’s blocked unless you enter a passcode. Downtime blocks chosen apps at set hours.
- Android: Digital Wellbeing app timers set a daily limit per app, and Bedtime mode silences notifications at night.
- Focus and Do Not Disturb: mute casino app notifications during work or family time.
- A visible clock: keep the status bar on screen while playing, or rely on the elapsed timer casino games must show.
Asking someone you trust to set the Screen Time passcode makes the limit harder to override. Our guide to blocking gambling apps on iPhone has the full steps.
Using reality checks with other safer gambling tools
A reality check tracks time; it doesn’t stop you spending. Pair it with a deposit limit, which caps what you can put in each day, week or month, and, where the app offers one, a loss limit. Some apps also offer session limits that log you out after a set time; see session limits on casino apps. A time-out gives a break of a day or more. Our casino app limits guide compares them all.
If reminders aren’t enough
If you often play on past every reminder, or the pop-up brings a sense of dread rather than a quick check-in, it may be time for a longer break or for support. Self-exclusion locks an account for six months or more, and GAMSTOP covers all GB-licensed online gambling. Advisers on the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) answer around the clock at no cost, and GamCare and NHS gambling clinics offer counselling and treatment. Our gambling support services guide explains each option.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reality check on a casino app?
A reality check is a reminder that appears at an interval you choose, showing how long you’ve been playing in the current session. It pauses play until you acknowledge it, and usually offers buttons to continue, view your account history or log out. UK-licensed casinos must offer reality checks under the Gambling Commission’s remote technical standards. They’re designed to break the absorption that fast games create, so you make a deliberate choice about carrying on. See our reality check glossary entry.
How often should I set a reality check?
Somewhere between the shortest option and about 30 minutes suits most people, especially on slots. Short rounds mean a lot of bets fit into a few minutes; at the 2.5-second minimum, a slot can run up to 24 spins a minute. Table and live games are slower, so a longer interval may feel less intrusive. If you find yourself tapping Continue without thinking, shorten the interval. The rules say any default an app sets must be the shortest one. Our RTP entry explains how returns work out over time.
Can I turn off reality checks on a casino app?
That depends on the app. Some let you remove the reminder, and others always keep one running and only let you change its frequency. Before switching it off, ask what you’d lose: the reminder costs a tap, while an unnoticed hour of play can cost much more. If the interruption annoys you because you’re mid-session longer than planned, that’s the reminder doing its job. A loss or deposit limit is a good companion. Our guide to setting a gambling budget on your phone helps you pick one.
Do reality checks work on both the app and the website?
Usually, because reality checks are a setting on your casino account rather than on the phone. Where an app applies them at account level, the same interval follows you to the website and to a tablet. Some apps use product-level reminders, set separately for each game session, and must tell you if the setting has to be made again. Check the note on the reality check screen. Our page on using one account on two devices explains how settings are shared.
Why does the reality check appear in the middle of a game?
It usually waits until the current round ends, then blocks the next one until you respond. If it appears while a slot’s reels have stopped, your result has already been settled and is shown in your history. In blackjack, you can still finish a hand that needs extra money, such as a split or double down, before the reminder takes effect. The design is meant to interrupt the flow without affecting a round in progress. Our how casino app games work guide explains how results are settled.
Is a reality check the same as a session limit?
No. A reality check is a reminder: it shows the time and lets you choose to continue. A session limit is a hard stop that logs you out after the time you’ve set, and some apps offer both. If reminders aren’t changing how long you play, a session limit or a daily app limit in Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing may suit you better. Deposit and loss limits control money rather than time. Our session limits on casino apps guide compares them.
Does a reality check show how much I’ve lost?
The rules require it to show the time elapsed and to link to your account history; some apps also show net wins and losses in the pop-up. Slot screens in Great Britain must always display your balance and net position, so you can also check the game itself. Tapping through to your history after each reminder gives the clearest picture of stakes and returns across the session. Our net position entry explains the figure shown on slots.
Where can I get help if I keep ignoring reality checks?
Talking to someone is a good next step. Ringing 0808 8020 133, the National Gambling Helpline, costs nothing at any time of day, and GamCare also offers live chat and counselling. NHS gambling clinics provide specialist treatment. Practical steps include a time-out, self-exclusion with the casino, or GAMSTOP for all GB-licensed online gambling. Ignoring reminders often is one of the signs worth paying attention to. Our page on signs a casino app is affecting you lists others.