Gambling is a controversial topic, which is precisely why it’s a fertile field for misconceptions. Gambling myths, exciting as they might sound, are common worldwide. Although they are mostly tied to land-based venues, they are not uncommon in the online casino gaming arena as well.
From adamant beliefs about outcome prediction to expecting to get an income in gambling, we are here to debunk some of the most common gambling myths about casino gambling.
Debunking the 7 Most Common Gambling Myths
Let’s see what are the most common myths players believe in and what is truly behind them.
“Gambling may be addictive, but I’m immune.”
Gambling addiction is considered is a serious issue, and no one is immune to addiction. Players who gamble every day or wager big sums from time to time without the ability to control themselves have a problem – but not everyone reaches that stage of addiction.
Now, even though not all players are addicts, it doesn’t mean someone can be completely safe from it. That’s why it’s important to play responsibly and control finances so you wouldn’t slip into problem gambling.
“I didn’t win for a very long time; I’m due for a win now.”
An erroneous belief which sums up the entire problem with gambling addiction. It’s easy to think that, as there hasn’t been a favorable outcome for a very long time, there must be one soon. This might be comforting to many players, but that’s actually not how gambling games work.
Gambling games are divided into games of luck and games of skill. Luck games are roulette, dice games and slots, because no skill is involved in playing the game and the player cannot influence the outcome. Poker and blackjack, on the other hand, are skill-based games. However, in all cases, you cannot predict the flow of the session as each round is for itself – they are not linked in any way. In other words, an outcome of one spin in online slots has nothing to do with other spins, even if they are consecutive. Each outcome is for itself.
“I will get back the money I’ve lost if I play long enough.”
The longer you play, the more money you will lose. Like we said above, the house always wins, which means you are more likely to lose the money than win it. Furthermore, the belief that you can win back the money that you’ve lost by simply playing longer at the table is a form of erroneous belief.
Players who are in control of their actions and are not at risk from problem gambling know that all casino games (especially those online) are RNG games, which means no outcome is predictable. That’s why it’s completely irrational to believe that a certain outcome is expected to happen just because you think it should.
“I can earn enough money to support myself by playing casino games.”
The house always wins. Players are not meant to earn a lot of money at the gambling facilities. It’s that simple. At best, players can expect to win a certain cash prize, but in most cases, all the money won is money that was already invested while playing other games.
And lucky/skilled players who have mastered certain table games may have good days and big wins occasionally, but luck is fickle. It is dangerous to expect gambling games can provide a steady income to players, even if they are professionals.
“I’m feeling lucky so I must win today.”
This is another gambling fallacy. It’s actually very similar to the “I didn’t win for a very long time; I’m due for a win now.” Just because there hasn’t been a win for a very long time and you woke up feeling lucky does not mean a win must happen. It doesn’t.
Gambling is not predictable, so don’t expect to see a certain result based on how you are feeling in the moment. The cards (or dice, or balls) that you are using to play your favourite game are the key to the round, not subjective feelings.
“I am on a roll – the wins will keep on going.”
This is the perfect example of the “hot hand fallacy”. It’s one of several main types of gambling misconceptions that are present in the gambling industry. Players firmly believe that if they have more than two consecutive wins, their winning streak will continue.
No one can claim this for sure, because all game outcomes are separate outcomes. If someone wins three times, there is no possible way to guarantee that they will win the fourth time as well.
“I have a special betting strategy that helps me win every time.”
Although betting strategies are an important part of a player’s career, it’s crucial to understand one thing: no strategy is infallible.
Betting strategies are simple techniques for betting that may or may not work. Even the most solid of them work most of the time, but not always.
Conclusion
The gambling industry abounds in gambling myths. It has been like that and will be for as long as games exist (meaning, forever). However, one important thing that we can do is try to debunk these gambling myths because they not only mystify the outcomes, they also build unreachable goals for the players to chase. And that has never been a good thing.
