My mistakes have actually only cost me time. I usually play small amounts and rarely withdraw my winnings when I win, but I keep playing. I've even gone overboard and gambled away all my winnings in 15 days. Losing them in just 5 minutes of playing has been a huge disappointment.
For several months, I didn't play anything at all, then gradually I made some small bets, and now I only play when I find the bet interesting or on a slot machine I particularly like.