Casino Myths Debunked

From Ancient Aztec card games to playing dice on the streets during Roman Antiquity, gambling has been part and parcel of human existence for thousands of years. Unsurprisingly then, there are still numerous myths associated with gambling that persist to this day. So, it will be our mission to debunk all of the latest gambling and casino myths in this article.

Myth #1 Slot Machines Are Rigged

This is one of the simplest casino myths to debunk. The answer is no, slot machines are definitely not rigged. Both land based and online slots are 100% trustworthy and are not rigged to cheat you. However, casinos do have an edge on all slot machines due to a slots RTP level which stands for return to player. For example, a slot with an RTP of 98% will, theoretically, pay the player $98 for every $100 that is put into the slot. No casino game has an RTP of 100% or above, so the edge is always in the casinos favor.

Myth #2 Card Counting is Illegal

It is not illegal to count cards in the USA, but casinos are not happy with the players who are able to use the mathematical system to increase their chances of winning. Card counting is a tactic which can be used when playing Blackjack by keeping track of the cards which remain in the deck. However, casinos do their best to deter players from counting cards, usually by adding 6+ decks to the Blackjack shoe.

Myth #3 Losing and Winning Streaks

Many players still perceive that after a long run of losses, a win will therefore be just around the corner. However, this is not likely. Continuing to play as you see your money decrease doesn’t mean that you are likely to hit a win eventually. It is important to understand that every event in a game of chance is a unique and independent statistical event. The blackjack cards will not remember if you’ve busted four times in a row and they don’t owe you a win either. The only real guarantee is that the house will win over the long run, as the odds are always slightly in their favor.

Myth #4 Dealers Can Affect Outcomes of Casino Games

Certain dealers will not bring you luck and therefore will not affect the outcome of the casino game you are playing. Unless you know for certain that your dealer is fixing cards, then the dealer has no bearing on the outcome of any casino game. Where online casinos are concerned, there is no dealer (unless you are playing at a live dealer casino), the outcome of the casino games are decided by a complex computer algorithm.

Myth #5 Slot Machines are Overdue for a Big Win

If you have been playing a slot machine for hours and are yet to hit a big win, it can be easy to think that a win must be coming. However, such a belief is false. You should never expect a slot machine to award you after a dry spell. Slot machines use random number generators, when the win lands is completely random and depends on a computer algorithm. Furthermore, the algorithm pays no attention to previous results.

Myth #6 Online Casinos are Scams

During the early days of online casinos, there were some nefarious sites out there which scammed players. However, there are now various regulatory bodies and authorities which are in place to ensure that online casino activity is fair, legal and trustworthy. American online casinos are regulated by the respective states in which they operate.

Myth #7 All Casino Games are Pure Luck

Whilst there is an element of luck in all casino games, this doesn’t mean to say that all games revolve solely around luck. For example, there is certainly a skill element in table games such as Blackjack whilst playing poker online against other players has a huge skill element to it. Although with that being said, the spins of slot machine reels are purely luck based.

Myth #8 You Must Bet More to Win More

The myth that you can entice a slot to payout more by betting more money on it is false. Betting bigger and spending more will only lead to frustration, disappointment and potentially more losses. Games of chance do not take what you spend into account, wins will happen randomly regardless of the size of your bet or how much you have bet in the past.