Free Slots
We all love that feeling when we score a big win. The next impulse is to continue and chase the next one, and so on. This happens because you will always get that thrilling and intense sensation no matter what you are betting on. This is the beauty of casino games, but all this mystery and mysticism will fade quickly because we are here today to debunk not less than ten casino myths. If you plan to become a better gambler and to educate yourself more in this field, stay with us!
Myth 1: The Law of Averages Rewards Gamblers
The myth is all about probability. The ones who believe in this myth honestly think that if it has been a long time since a particular event took place, it is more likely that it will happen sooner. If we translate this to gambling behaviour, the average punter thinks a huge one is likely to happen if he has a losing streak of 10 bets or 100 spins without any win.
Thanks to our experienced professionals, we know that every slot and every casino game has an equal probability in each round or bet you make. It does not matter if you spin a slot ten or ten thousand times. The chance to win a jackpot or anything else is the same.
We can understand this principle even better if we look at Roulette. Let’s say, for example, you are in a session where you try to bet on red or black. So, if the last eight rounds were black, maybe you think the chance for the next one to be red is higher. In reality, it is not. The Roulette has the same probability of giving a red, black or green pocket every round.
Advice: Act like every bet, round or spin at any casino game is the first.
Myth 2: Gambling Systems or Strategies Guarantee Wins
Before we jump into explaining this myth, we have to make it clear that nothing is for sure in any casino game. No matter what strategy you apply or how much experience you have. Our team consists of over 50 proficient individuals with years of experience. Trust us when we say that nothing can guarantee you win at sports, casinos, or virtual games. Here is one of our own analyses of the Martingale strategy. Check it out for more information.
So, what is this myth about? People believe they will win more if they apply specific strategies to certain casino games. For example, some players change their bets, gamble their wins according to patterns or trust mathematical strategies with their budgets.
Every casino game has a house edge. Consider it a rule or a specific way to ensure they never lose money. For slots, we have the RTP(Return To Player). A slot with 95% RTP will pay back only 95% of the money players invest in it. This way, some players win, and some lose, but the casino will always win that 5% in the long run. And this applies to every casino game.
Myth 3: A Casino Will Rig Game Results
This myth implies that a casino will intentionally rig game results to ensure players lose their wagers. Considering the legal context, a casino has no reason to risk its licence. Moreover, do not forget that oversight bodies are institutions, like UKGC, with a fundamental goal: to ensure quality in regulatory processes. This means they have the right to supervise, advise and promote reforms, even in gambling facilities.
Another argument is the house edge again. We will ask you why a casino would risk a successful business for extra profits, get involved in illegal actions, and lose notoriety when a house edge guarantees the success of a company like that. A casino will make a lot of money anyway, so why bother? But the world is a whole of everything, and we must mention the illegal casinos.
Most of them are active in the online sector, and you can recognise them by the lack of licensing, payment methods or customer support service. These illegal and suspicious casinos will do everything they can to scam players, but you should avoid them!
UKGC vs Curacao
We know that when a casino looks safe and has all the certificates in order, the level of trust is higher. This is how we feel when we analyse a casino with a UKGC licence.
But there is a big chance you encounter several names and online gambling platforms active under a Curacao licence. Most of our experts would like to mention that Curacao can offer such licences, but you should be extremely cautious with your betting choices on a website like that.
Curacao is not nearly as strict and demanding as the UKGC. Anyone can obtain a casino licence from Curacao, and this is something you should think of. We advise you to think twice before depositing in casinos with Curacao licences, and check if the platform works correctly before switching to bigger wagers.
You will always be safer on a UK casino website than on some platform with a cheap and easy-to-get licence like the ones from Curacao.
Myth 4: Skilled Players Will Always Win More
A popular myth encourages players to believe they can improve their skills, leading to more winning. We are talking about luck-based games, so how can you become a skilled player when there is nothing to learn? There is only one casino game you can improve your chances of winning: Poker.
At Poker, you have to know the basics of the game, but the secret is to improve your psychological behaviour. All the professional poker players are good at reading signs, hiding their emotions and managing their budgets. Besides, any other casino game works thanks to random generators, and you can do nothing to improve your chances of winning.
Myth 5: Online Gambling is More Addictive than Offline Gambling
Online and offline gambling are different, but when it comes to addiction, both have similar results. So, the myth is that online gambling platforms have a different design to make the players addicted faster. We will debunk this myth using a study from Pedro Huber and Mark D Griffiths, A Comparison of Online Versus Offline Gambling Harm in Portuguese Pathological Gamblers.
The study has 1599 participants, and the results are similar in terms of addiction levels. Obviously, there are differences between the two gambling styles. The online platforms are always available, more affordable and with a higher accessibility rate. When it comes to offline gambling, the intensity of feeling while gambling is higher. The depression rate is higher, too.
Online gambling is not only more addictive than offline, but it is quite the opposite.
Myth 6: Previous Results Predict the Future Ones
Another myth that encourages players to make false assumptions regarding their winnings is that a past outcome can predict future results. You might be thinking that you can repeat a successful gambling session by doing the same thing.
Again, you are facing a game of luck with the same chance of giving you a specific result every time. Every round or spin is identical to your first one regarding chance. If we add here the concept of independence of events, which says that an event does not affect the chances of the occurrence of the other event, you can understand that gambling is only for fun.
Advice: You cannot predict results in casino games, especially if you compare them to previous outcomes, because they are not connected.
Myth 7: Increasing Your Bet Boosts Your Chances of Winning
If you read all the myths above, we are confident that you can give yourself an explanation for this one. So, the more money you bet, the higher your chances of winning are, which is entirely false. Any casino game has an RTP or odds set in the development process.
If you increase your bet, the RTP will not change. The only thing that happens is that your winnings are bigger because your wager is.
Advice: Always place a bet you can afford to lose and never chase to recover your losses.
Myth 8: It is Time for The Slot to Pay
Even today, we keep hearing about this myth when playing virtual slots. Gamblers, but especially the ones with addictions, have a fascinating way of finding arguments to keep betting. A slot machine has to pay if it’s already been a while since the last big win.
You should be very careful with a mindset like that, considering it is nonsense. The slots are using RNG (Random Number Generator) technology. This means a slot will always give you a result with the same chance as the previous one. No matter what you think or how many spins were unlucky, the slot might do the same for another two years if you have bad luck.
Advice: A slot will never pay differently, no matter the past.
Myth 9: It is Not Legal to Count Cards
Only those who don’t know how to count cards will say it is illegal. You will go to jail if you count cards? No. But if a casino decides to kick you out if you are doing it at a table, it is a very different scenario.
It’s the casino’s decision if they will permit card counting or not. That’s why some players believe it is illegal.
Myth 10: Casinos Influence Interior Atmosphere to Manipulate Punters
We will end our top with the most weird myth there is. Some people believe that casinos will pump oxygen inside to keep players awake. Therefore, they will keep betting and spend more time there.
This sounds like a complete conspiracy, and we should only imagine the legal implications if something like this happens. It is unsafe for the players if the casino exposes them to different oxygen levels. This could cause pulmonary and ocular toxicity, disorientation, respiratory problems and many more.
Psychological Factors Influence the Gambling Myths Beliefs
As a starting point, let’s imagine that a gambler will refuse to admit that he constantly loses money betting. The desire to become rich and hit that big jackpot is influencing his psychological sanity, forcing him to invent excuses, perpetuate myths, and maintain bad financial behaviour.
And we have two cognitive biases that perfectly describe this behaviour. The first is the gambler’s fallacy, known as the Monte Carlo fallacy. A condition that occurs when a gambler believes that his gambling actions will influence the next, leading to a favourable event to happen. In his mind, if he continues to bet, he will become rich, no matter how hard it will be.
The second one is confirmation bias and, in our opinion, the most dangerous one. Gamblers tend to recall events or information in a way that confirms their beliefs. If they win, it is because they do something good, but if they lose, it is because the game will pay a lot later. They tend to manipulate their thoughts only to make themselves feel better for their bad decisions.
How Important It Is to Gamble Responsibly
We cannot stress this enough, and on every occasion, we will encourage you to play responsibly. If you do not know how to do that or what it means, here is a list of responsible practices to apply in every betting session:
- Always have a budget. Set losing and winning limits and respect them. End your session if you reach one of them, and this way, you will avoid overspending.
- Set time limits. With the same principle, also set a session time. It could be one hour, two hours or four hours. Respect it and never surpass that.
- Never chase losses. If you are constantly betting to recover your losses, stop immediately. The only thing you do is risk more money.
- Make a distinction between facts and myths. Accept reality and do not fool yourself. Read the article above and understand that only luck can influence the outcomes.
- Enjoy yourself. Gambling is a fun experience. Forget about the winnings; set a low bet and try to enjoy every minute you spend at the casino.
- Only bet what you can afford to lose. Never risk your rent money or the finances you need to sustain your family.
- Seek Support. It is not a shame to have an addiction. But it would help if you acted immediately by seeking support. We have a list of institutions you can go to and seek help. Also, you can do some tests to see if you are addicted or acknowledge the impact gambling has on your life.
If you suspect that gambling has a higher impact on your life than it should or have a friend who struggles with this kind of problem, visit the following websites:
Things to Remember
It is crucial to understand how casino games work. Casinos are businesses, and they have to generate income. The only sure thing about them is that they are the only ones who guarantee to make a profit. Any gambling activity should be a fun experience and a way to relax. Try to accept your losses, avoid excuses and acknowledge that gambling is just an activity that you have to pay for.
Any big or small win is just a bonus, and you should never consider that casinos are a source of income.