Do Casinos Cheat? Every business enterprise aims to make money. The casino industry is no exception to business enterprises of this category. Alongside entertaining their clients/customers, their biggest goal is making a profit. Usually not at the cost or detriment of their business. But some desperate Casino houses are willing to risk increasing their profit margin by trying to cheat their customers out of their money. The question “do casinos cheat?” would depend on factors like the location of the casino and the kind of casino you are playing. The reputation of any casino usually precedes it. So, finding the information about the casino, you are playing at before you visit it is a necessity.
Location Matters
Suppose you are traveling to another city or state or country, and you decide to play, or a local casino invites you. In that case, you have no prior information about the country’s law on gambling or the casino’s reputation. You are walking into a trap. The idea of these casinos is to trick unsuspecting individuals.
Illegal casinos do a convincing job of imitating an actual casino.
They are usually small set up, not too big establishments traditionally found on the outskirt of town. You are most likely going to playing into the hands of a local con artist. His job is to convince you into playing at their illegal casino.
These illegal casinos usually have one or two tables squeezed into an apartment, but the aesthetics speak casino-like. The casino gives you the Las Vegas like experience. Although, the law does not regulate them, so they do as they please
In these joints, there are different ways you can be cheated out of your money by completely manipulated the game, or they run the odds against you that would empty your account way faster than any real casino would.
Do Casinos Cheat? Cheating At The Big Casinos
The big casinos located in cities like Las Vegas, Atlantic City would have a different answer to the question “do casinos cheat?”. They depend on the city’s image as a city to gamble and the hub of entertainment to attract tons of players yearly willing to risk their money in a bid to find joy or make it big.
The city’s image is their most significant selling point. As a result of this, they are careful not to do any damage to the reputation. A hint of bad news from a single casino would be bad news for the casino house and every casino house and even other industries that depend on customers trooping to the casino for their source of revenue.
Think about a big brand caught manipulating the odds at a table or removing 10s from the deck of cards. The damage would far outweigh the gain. To this, the games are controlled and monitored by all parties involved.
Even though cheating by the house is a thing of the past, the following are ways in which the casino tries to make you lose more money legally.
- Playing With Chips Instead Of Cash
One reason casinos play with chips instead of actual cash is that it gives the player the feeling that he is not spending as much as he is. It is way easier to betting higher amounts with chips compared to real money. And when you lose, you don’t realize it immediately because you are losing chips and not the actual cash.
- No Clocks In The Casino
In the casino, the finding of clocks is a near-impossible task. The goal of the house is to make you lose track of time, so you don’t make a conscious effort trying to keep track of the hours you have spent. So you keep playing and trying to win more.
- Drinks On The House
The joy of a casino is to see its players heavy on drinks. Alcohol lowers the plays concentration, and his or her judgment becomes cloudy. The house knows this and serves alcohol all through the day. Bringing alcohol to you is for the sake of convenience. The only payment you have to make is the tips you give the waiters and waitresses. Alcohol is free.
- Loyalty ProgramsÂ
It may sound funny to you, but casino houses offer some special discounts to returning and loyal customers. Customers are rewards through the point system. Earning enough points from betting(winning or losing), you might get free lodging for the night. But remember, your losses are always going to outweigh your loyalty points.
- Big Celebrations For The Winners
Winning big in the casino is rare. But when that happens, the celebration that follows it is usually over the hills. The bright lights in the casino come on, the sound is loud, these celebratory moments create a false mental impression. Players who see this want to keep going because they believe they also have a chance to win. If anything, the stakes just went up against the player.
- . Isolation From The Real World
Stepping into the casino means you are stepping into another world. Designing the windows by casino owners is so you can not tell the time without checking your digital device. The designing of the casino interiors is so you do not notice the change from morning to evening and even midnight. Likewise, the designing of casino walls and the ceilings are a look-alike of the sky.
- AccommodationÂ
After spending the bulk of your cash at a casino and you want to call it a day, the casino offers you hotel accommodation on the house in an adjoining hotel. The idea is that you remain in the casino environment. There is a high possibility of you gambling more when you wake up the next day.
- A Maze-Like Floor DesignÂ
The labyrinthine design of the casino is intentional by the owners. There is no clear path leading to an exit, neither is there a direct route from one section to another. The courses of the casino are usually curved. The gaming arena is placed strategically with the intent of catching your attention as you try to navigate through. The temptation to try the poker machine with a few quid even though you plan to make your way to the exit is a part of their strategy.Â
- Near WinsÂ
If you have ever been to a casino, you would realize the ease at which players get near wins. You would have come close to hitting the jackpot several times. As random as this would seem to you, it isn’t a coincidence.
The machine programmers are known for implementing an algorithm that gives you the impression that an extra spin would take you to the jackpot. The machine is programmed this way to make you play more and spend more cash. Unfortunately, a 2 of 3 or 4 of 4 does not give you the jackpot you seek. Examine it this way; if you play a game requiring you to predict numbers and get 80% of the number right, the odds you would try again are very high. But this does not guarantee that you would make 100% which gives you a jackpot. You might end up trying ten more times and still not achieve your goal.
A Little History
In the early days of the casino business, the major betting cities had owners who would not manage and deal with manipulating the odds on a player who was having a lucky run; to avoid being the cause of the owner losing a large amount of money during their shift.
There were the bust-out dealers: their job descriptions varied based on the need. They were skilled in cheating, and they could be pit bosses. Sometimes, they could even be the honest dealer at the table or be in waiting. That is until lady luck starts to shine on someone continuously.
Sometimes, lacing the players’ free drinks with chloral hydrate is also known as the Micky Finn. This drink usually kept the player playing. It also inhibited the players’ sense of reasoning, making the play susceptible to poor decisions.
Some managers engaged in other forms of cheating, like reducing the player’s odds by removing high cards from the deck.
Wrap Up
We are far past the casinos that cheat era. Currently, the chances of being lucky throughout the streak is slim. If you stay long enough at the table, your luck will run out. A few free drinks from the house would also do the trick without your drink laced. You might even start asking the question, “do casinos cheat?” when you run out of luck. But in the end, remember that the house always wins in the world of casinos.
