The Big Six Casino Myths Debunked

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Casinos have a special place in many people’s imaginations. Places where fortunes can won on the spin of a roulette wheel or the turn of a playing card.

They are also undoubtedly glamorous places, especially when you’re thinking about some of the big names in Las Vegas like the Bellagio or Caesars Palace. The glamour of the gaming is further enhanced in the huge resort-style casinos by the stunning stage shows they put on featuring iconic artists like Britney Spears and Elton John.

In a world where many people have sworn they would give up drinking for 6 months if it meant they could see their heroes or heroines perform, it’s a very shrewd way to attract more customers.

But, alongside the glamor and excitement, there are also a number of myths that hover around the casino experience. It’s probably quite understandable that places that occupy such a prominent role in the public consciousness should have built up these stories.

Fortunately, we’re here to set six of the main ones straight.

Our first example is one that’s been doing the rounds for quite some time now.

The story is that leading casinos ensure that there’s a higher than normal level of oxygen circulating in the air in order to make players more alert, energetic and likely to take bigger risks.

While extra oxygen can be a big help for sports people, there is no truth in the theory that it’s used in casinos. For a start, this highly flammable gas would never be allowed on fire safety grounds – and even if it was it would never be possible to ensure a high enough concentration to make a difference.

A casino running rigged games artificially tipping the odds in their favour wouldn’t last very long at all.

That’s because it’s one of the most tightly regulated industries out there. So the relevant gaming industry body makes frequent checks to ensure that everything is proper and above board from roulette wheels that spin freely to slots games that do pay out the advertised amount over time.

Plus, the way in which casino games use probabilities means that they don’t need to be rigged for the operators to make a profit when they can guarantee one anyway.

This is both true and false at the same time. Yes, as described above, casino games are structured around the law of probabilities meaning the house will always come out on top.

But as a player it’s also always going to be about being in the right place at the right time to beat the odds. It could be when that random spin on a slot produces the jackpot or when you get a run of blackjacks in a row.

Every hour of every day someone walks out of a casino better off than when they entered it – and they’d certainly concur that the house most definitely doesn’t always win.

Some people sincerely believe that slots games have periods of high payouts – as well as barren stretches when no winnings can be made.

This is to completely misunderstand the random nature of the machines. Each spin of the reels is completely unconnected to the one which has preceded it. This is all thanks to a little algorithm called a random number generator.

By creating an ever-changing stream of numbers it ensures that there is no logical sequence being followed. So you’re equally likely to get two jackpots in a row as you are to get two non-winning spins.

Of all the casino games, it’s roulette that seems to have the most supposed systems that can help to lead to a win. The most famous of these is undoubtedly the Martingale. In this you double the size of your stake after each losing bet with the aim of recouping your losses.

However, there is no way that you can predict what the next spin of the wheel will bring and, after as few as six losing spins, you’ll be staking 32 times your original bet – and you’ll already have lost 31 times that original amount.

So when it comes to systems it’s a real non-starter.

While our final myth is generally true, there are games in which you can have a little more control. In Blackjack you can memorize the so-called basic strategy that can guide to wiser betting. And in poker there is undoubted skill involved.

So, hopefully, this has helped to clear up some of the many misconceptions about casino betting, giving you more confidence to get out there and try your luck.

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