Casino Gambling Secrets
Gambling in a casino is fun. It’s profitable for the casino, too. In fact, it’s so profitable that the casino would probably prefer that you not know all the secrets of how casino gambling works. Much of what you need to know boils down to common sense, but not all of it. Your job is to become the best-educated gambler in the casino. If a state allows casino gambling and has a federally recognized tribe, the tribe will most likely attempt to negotiate a tribal-state compact. It is nearly impossible to prevent tribal casinos if a state does not entirely prohibit gambling, perhaps by the state constitution. Dec 14, 2020 Few things will get an avid gambler’s heart pumping like a trip to the casino. Whether it’s a short road trip or a plane trip across the country, casino gamblers love a good adventure. You’ve waited and likely saved up for months just to take a much-needed vacation. Here are seven secrets for the perfect. Apr 14, 2017 Here’s a list of 15 slot machine secrets the casinos don’t want you to know about. Slot placement isn’t random Although casinos would like you to think that everything on the floor is placed in a completely random way for ease of access and aesthetics, this certainly isn’t the case.
Sep 11, 2017 The same is oddly true for online casinos. While the “avoid machines at the end of long rows and near exits” may be much harder to apply at an online casino, it is a solid rule of thumb that if you haven’t seen a win on a machine you’re playing in a long time, it’s probably best to move on to another machine.
The casino industry may be regulated and required to play fairly with players, but there are things the casinos won’t tell you up front. Every industry has its unspoken truths. Some are benign. Some are treated as “dirty little secrets”. Without being judgmental here are 12 things the average patron probably does not know about casinos and gambling.
1. Casinos Use Science to Get You to Gamble More
Academic research will study just about anything. You can even find numerous studies that rate how fast different types of grass grow during drought and rainy seasons. While there may be obscure benefits to such research, the casino industry has commissioned numerous studies that help them separate players from their money.
Casino Gambling Secrets
Among the interesting facts that science has revealed is that women are more likely to take bigger risks when they are alone, that players gamble more recklessly when they hear fast music, and some scents may lull players into staying longer at a game.
2. Return to Player Varies Based on Casino Popularity
For casinos, popularity translates into players.
But don’t assume “market forces” work in your favor.
Casino economics work this way: improve player odds until you get a maximum number of players and then shift the odds in your favor.
Casinos have several economic strategies to choose from:
You know that slot machine games are rarely reprogrammed because of the time and expense involved; still, casinos can change the theoretical return to player when they need to. One study shows that in 2014 North Las Vegas casinos offered 5% better RTP on their slot games than their competitors on the Las Vegas Strip.
Casinos change table game rules, too. They give better odds when there are fewer players and worse odds when there are more players. Some casinos change their rules at certain hours of the day. It’s better to pay good odds to a few players than bad odds to no players.
3. Casinos Hire Anonymous Professional Players
You have heard this rumor before. Casino industry insiders occasionally confirm it. Casinos hire players for two reasons: to encourage casual visitors to play, or to assist with enforcement of casino rules and gambling laws.
These house gamblers play with casino money, keeping no winnings and losing no money. House players rarely stay at any one game for very long. Their job is to move around the casino, either to keep an eye on things or to attract players to games.
4. The Casino Investigates You When You Win Big
Have you ever won a jackpot and found yourself waiting a long time for the casino staff to show up? While they could be busy elsewhere, part of their job is to keep you waiting. That gives the security team time to review how you won that jackpot. They have the final say on whether you actually get your money or escorted off the premises.
5. Sometimes You Can Place Bets for the Dealer
You know that dealers love to receive tips from players. In some casinos the players can place second bets as dealer tips. The dealers may not be permitted to choose how you tip but most dealers would love to accept a winning bet.
Just say, “I want to bet this as a tip for the dealer,” and play the bet separately from your own because the dealer keeps the winnings (if there are any). If the casino does not allow you to place bets as tips for the dealer, the dealer or floor manager will tell you. In that case, just pass the tip to the dealer.
6. Gambling Addiction Often Leads to Crime
Population studies show that about 10% of gamblers are susceptible to addiction. Statistics also show that about 2/3 of gambling addicts turn to petty crime to finance their habits. They may steal from friends and family members at first but some also graduate to worse behavior.
It’s the addiction that is the problem, not the gambling or the person. Gambling is a form of entertainment but some people become addicted to certain behaviors. When an addict cannot satisfy his or her cravings, regardless of what he or she is addicted to, the addiction takes over.
If you think you may have a gambling problem, seek help before it becomes more than just a “problem”.
7. How Much Is That Tournament Prize Really Worth?
Have you ever played in a casino tournament?
These events can be a lot of fun. People are excited and they aren’t just there to play the games, they are there to compete with each other. Casinos may offer very nice top prizes but to do so they sometimes sweeten the deal by including promotional chips. A promotional chip is like house credit. You can only use it at the casino that awards it and you cannot cash it out.
Promotional chips must be used to play the casino’s games. You can look at this in one of two ways: the casino is being sneaky in devaluing the prize they advertise or the casino is offering a prize consisting of free play. Either way, you end up playing with the house money if you win a tournament prize that includes promotional chips.
8. Why Is the Dealer Offering You Money?
Have you ever been dealt a blackjack where the dealer has an Ace and offers you even money on your bet? This might seem like an expensive proposition if the casino has a full table of players. Of course, how often do all the players get a blackjack at the same time?
Statistics experts who look at blackjack will tell you that if you refuse the even money payoff you should, over time, have a 54% to the house’s 46% win rate in this situation. Still, you may lose your bet if you don’t take the even money offer and the casino is counting on your anxiety to make the decision for you.
The casino is offering you money because it wants to cut its losses short. While it’s true that you “don’t lose” this way you also have no chance of winning an even money bet. Are you gambling or not?
9. Native American Casinos Have More Rights than Commercial Casinos
People often forget that Native American tribes living on reservations are still sovereign nations. They pass their own laws and have their own police forces. A commercial casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City may have fewer direct options for dealing with suspected criminal activity than a casino located on tribal lands.
While you’re obviously not planning to commit any crimes in casinos, just remember that you don’t have quite as many advantages in rights on tribal land as you do at a commercial casino. If you find yourself dealing with casino security for any reason, be polite and reasonable; but assume the Native American security staff come armed with laws you haven’t heard about.
10. Never Take the Extra Bet
Maybe you are playing a slot game that offers a “Gamble” option. Maybe you are playing blackjack or roulette on a “progressive” table. If the game offers a secondary bet and you have to play with your money, pass it up. This is especially good advice if you only get the option for the secondary bet after you win a prize.
Think about it: the secondary bet comes from money you just won on your first bet. That sounds like it’s just another bet, but if the chances of winning the secondary bet are worse than the chances of winning the first bet, you’re better off not taking the secondary bet.
Some slot game designers realized that players had caught on to this trick. Now more modern games may allow you to adjust the odds on the secondary bet. But where they get you is that many players will use the adjustment option to increase the maximum possible payoff, which decreases your chances of winning.
Casino Gambling Roulette
Secondary bets are great ways for casinos to keep more of your money. Just play by one set of rules when you gamble.
11. There IS a Strategy for Winning on Slot Games
Casino Gambling Secrets Movie
There are two ways to ensure you don’t lose money on slot games: either don’t play slot games or only play them with promotional credit the casinos give you. As long as you never risk your own money on slot games you will eventually win.
But this strategy requires a lot of discipline, time, and patience.
12. Roulette Wheels Do Experience Wear and Tear
If you play roulette often enough you’ll notice that the wheels are replaced from time to time. That is because even in gambling the laws of physics prevail. Despite modern wheel design and manufacturing processes, normal wear and tear gradually alters the physical characteristics of the roulette wheel. Professional roulette players look for wear and tear on the wheels. They may be able to detect patterns in how the balls complete their rolls.
Conclusion
Knowing these industry secrets won’t make you rich but you can stay on top of your game by being as diligent as the casino. Don’t hand every advantage over to the house by ignoring what they do. And don’t hamper your enjoyment by taking too many risks. Enjoy the game but protect yourself.