Compliance
Reality Check
Definition
An on-screen reminder showing elapsed session time and often net position, interrupting play at set intervals. Mandatory in several regulated markets.
Why it matters
A reality check interrupts play at a chosen interval, typically every 30 or 60 minutes, with a message stating how long the session has lasted and frequently the amount won or lost. The player must acknowledge it to continue, and most implementations offer the option to stop. The purpose is to counter dissociation, the well-documented loss of time awareness during immersive play, particularly on fast, repetitive products.
Because the tool works by breaking flow, the design details are what determine whether it functions or becomes wallpaper. Regulators have addressed whether the interval can be set too long, whether the message can be dismissed reflexively, and whether it must display net position rather than time alone. Several markets mandate reality checks for online play, and their presence, default settings and content are routinely examined in compliance reviews alongside limit-setting and self-exclusion.