Gambling has easily created its own reputation over the years. For some, it has been the route to success, for others, the route to failure. A lot of superstition, ignorance, and falsehoods trail behind gambling, so if you’re looking to enter the world of risking your money, it’s important to know the facts.
Here are 7 misconceptions surrounding gambling that you should know about before putting any money onto the table.
Top 7 Misconceptions About Gambling
1. Gambling Isn’t Addictive
Many people (all gamblers) will try to convince non-gamblers that it isn’t addicting at all. Although some do not get addicted to gambling in the way that people become addicted to drugs or alcohol, it can still have severe effects on the brain. Some people need 12-step programs to prevent or avoid gambling addictions.
In a world where mental health issues are at their highest, gamblers should be extremely cautious when claiming gambling doesn’t affect the brain at all. Winning and losing money in an unpatterned way can be difficult for the body to process, so people playing the game should be careful explaining how it plays them to newcomers.
This is similar to the claim that bad luck can only last so long. The probability of winning at roulette doesn’t change as you go along, after all. Each event is individual and gamblers should not predict future wins based on past losses.
2. It Is Illegal To Count Cards
As much as the casinos discourage counting cards as much as is physically possible, you cannot be arrested or prosecuted for doing so.
According to Forbes, Unless you are using a device to count the cards as the game goes along, then you are doing absolutely nothing wrong. Counting cards is simply putting some thought into the game you’re playing.
If a casino tries to ban you for doing so, it’s important to know where you stand and what you’re doing is completely fine in the gambling rulebook.
3. Slot Machine Wins Don’t Change Based On Time Played
Many believe that if a slot machine hasn’t produced a win for a number of hours, then it is likely to happen soon.
As good as this may sound to some, it simply isn’t the case. Slot machines run on a random number generator, which runs through thousands of results per second. When the spin button is pressed, the generator stops on whatever number was running through at that precise nanosecond.
There is simply no way of knowing where this generator will land, or when it will produce a win. The generator also has no way of knowing if it has produced tens of wins that day or none at all, either. Each paid or free spin is a completely independent event.
In the same way, pulling a lever on a slot machine does not mean the player has a better chance of winning than pressing the spin button. The random generator will never know how it has been triggered, but simply that it has been.
4. Casinos Can ‘Fix’ Outcomes
There is a myth that often circulates suspecting that casinos can fix the end result of games if a person is seen to be winning too much.
Once again, you guessed it, this is false. All games in casinos come with a mathematical edge that falls on the advantage side of the casino, meaning they simply don’t need to make any more effort when it comes to winning.
If anything, this would just push gamblers away.
While gamblers are mostly dealing with short term wins and losses, casinos are dealing with long term income. Casinos simply do not need to micromanage, as they know that they are always making a profit thanks to many individual games all adding up to a large win for the company.
5. Some Systems Can Predict The Winning Lottery Numbers
Once again, completely wrong! The odds of winning the lottery are always the same, no matter the numbers that are picked for the lottery ticket. Most lotteries are drawn by putting all the numbers into a drum and randomly extracting them one at a time into a completely randomized and unique sequence.
The selection is purely by chance, meaning no matter what gambling software, magical predicting pet or lucky numbers you try to use to increase your odds, it simply will not make a difference.
6. Online Gambling Is Illegal
Three states in the USA have fully legalized online casino gambling.The rest are still yet to legalize or regulate online casinos, but not all of the 47 have written laws marking online gambling activity as specifically illegal.
It is actually illegal to facilitate money transfers for the purposes of illegal gambling, but this differs from simply placing a bet on a gambling website.
Another thing to consider is that no citizen has ever been arrested or prosecuted for playing slot machines or blackjack on the Internet.
The law is much more focused on prosecuting and regulating providers of online gambling, rather than those who choose to play the games.
7. It Is All A Matter Of Luck
When it comes to gambling, it is less about luck and more about chance. Every casino holds a house edge, so over time, the casino is guaranteed to make more money from you than what it gives to you.
In a similar way, knowing a game more will not increase your chances of winning at online casino game. You can earn a slight advantage in games like sports betting and poker by having more knowledge, but you will still never be able to know the outcome for sure before the game is played.
There is no pattern when it comes to gambling, and ‘feeling lucky’ is not a good enough reason to bet away all of your earnings on something you have a good feeling about.
Casino Conclusion
At the end of the day, gambling should be fun. If it gets to a part where betting your money is extremely risky, then maybe it's time to take a break or refrain from casinos.
