10 Things You Didn’t Know About Casinos
Around the world, 1.6 million people gamble at least once each year, often in casinos. Although they’re known worldwide as gambling and entertainment centers, many people hold misconceptions about casinos. If not misconceptions, others hold misbeliefs or lack an understanding about them.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of ten more things that you didn’t know about casinos and some interesting facts about the casino industry. In writing this post, we enlisted the help of casino specialist and expert Maunu Seppinen.
1. The Gambling Capital of the World Isn’t Las Vegas
Most people think of Las Vegas when they hear the word casino. An interesting fact is that Las Vegas isn’t the largest gambling city in the world. The gambling capital of the world is actually Macau.
The city is the only Chinese territory where gambling in a casino is legal. In 2012, Macau’s revenues were five times higher than Vegas’. Most of the money it makes is from high rollers making large bets at the table games in VIP rooms.
2. You Can Willingly Ban Yourself From a Casino
If you know you’ve got a gambling addiction, you can ask casinos to ban you from their premises. It’s a great way for gambling addicts to straighten up until they develop better control of their habits.
The ban can last for a year, ten years, or a lifetime. However, once you choose the lifetime ban, make sure you commit to it.
3. Nevada Used to Have a Casino in the Nevada State Prison
Many people know Nevada thanks to its most famous city, Las Vegas. However, not many know that the Nevada state prison used to have a casino in it for inmates. The casino let inmates play poker, blackjack, craps, and sports betting.
4. Casinos Aren’t the First Places that Featured Slot Machines
Charles Fey invented the first slot machine and called it the Liberty Bell. People didn’t play it in a casino but at Fey’s auto shop in San Francisco. He invented it to entertain customers while they waited for the mechanics to finish fixing their cars.
Later, their popularity pushed casinos to buy them. Casinos provide slot machines to entertain gamblers while they wait for a slot at the table games.
5. Casinos are Illegal in Japan
Have you ever wondered why you never hear about any casinos in Japan? The reason is that the country made these entertainment and gambling centers illegal. However, many Japanese gamblers have found a loophole for getting their fix.
They play in Pachinko parlors instead. Pachinko is a type of game that looks like a slot machine and gives silver balls as prizes. The players can trade these balls for toys, alcohol, and tokens that can be redeemed for cash.
6. You’ll Win at European Roulette More than at American Roulette
One key difference in the American and European versions of roulette affects your chances of winning. In American roulette, the wheel has a 00 and 0 house pocket. These changes give the house more chances to get the ball and win.
Since we’re on the subject of European gambling, many Europeans are developing their prospects in online gambling. For example, Finland is considering changing its regulations to cater to gamblers and gambling businesses. For anyone interested in checking out Finnish online casinos, check out netti kasinot.
7. Before They Leave the Table, Dealers Show Their Hands to the Cameras
Have you seen a casino dealer do some strange things before they go on break? They must practice the habit of clapping or dusting their hands to show that they’re not stealing chips. In many casinos, pocketing chips is a common crime that dealers commit.
8. Casinos with a Smoke-Free Policy Call Ambulances Less
Today, you find very few spaces to smoke a cigarette in public in the US. Casinos floors are one of them.
The University of California San Francisco did a study on the health impact of smoking and secondhand smoke. They found that the smoking ban in casinos reduced their ambulance call-outs by 20%.
9. Penny Slots Make the Most Money for Casinos
In many physical gambling establishments, penny slots are the most lucrative games. Even though players only need a penny to play, most bet much more.
Even online casinos get money from penny slots but not as much as physical casinos. Although online casinos today have already had the best quarter ever in 2020, penny slots aren’t the main sources of their income.
10. It’s Legal to Count Cards
Card counting is a legal blackjack strategy. It’s the technique of keeping track of the cards dealt and the cards in the deck.
However, casinos can ask you to leave the table if you use this strategy. An establishment can even ban you if you keep using the strategy to win games. Others make small rule changes to counter card counting.
Conclusion
There are a lot of facts about gambling that many people overlook or haven’t learned yet. We hope you enjoyed discovering the information we included above. Were you already familiar with some of this, or did you expect to find other obscure casino details?
This article has been scheduled in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
