AboutC.J. Expertise If you would like to understand spinning reel slot machines, video poker and multi-line video slot machines, I can help. Can answer most questions on odds, math, trends, myths and realities related to gaming devices at licensed casinos in the US. I have no winning "systems" to offer. Please limit questions to slot machines in licensed casinos. Please do not ask about table games, or how to fix a machine!
Experience Work for a major manufacturer of gaming/slot machines, which are sold strictly to licensed casinos.
Question Hello sir my name is Chuck Bosiljevac. I am a senior at Shaler Area High School and for our English class we are doing a project on "burning questions" that tenns have. The point of this project is to get an expert to answer one of our "burning questions." My question for you is Is there really a belief that someone can have good or bad luck when gambling? If you could email me an answer a.s.a.p. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for your time.
Answer Hi Chuck,
I certainly wish I had been given such fun assignments when I was in high school!
If I were to answer your question as stated ("Is there really a belief that someone can have good or bad luck when gambling?"), the answer would be Yes, of course. Some people do have that belief. So, in the interest of making this a valuable English class project, I am going to re-phrase the question.
"Is there any basis to some people's belief that luck is a factor in the outcome of gambling?"
I will also make a couple of assumptions: we are dealing strictly with regulated, live casino gambling. No internet gambling or non- state regulated gambling, OK? Finally, since this discussion is about luck, I will make the HUGE assumption that the person gambling is playing smart. Some games requires more expertise than others.
Yes, luck is supremely important when gambling. Assuming you are playing "smart", such as holding the proper cards in video poker, or playing the right number of coins on a slot machine, you can still lose. Or win. That's where luck comes in.
All casino games are developed to offer favorable odds to the house (casino.) So, going into the game, you know that the odds are stacked against you. But what brings people back, again and again, to the casino? The possibility of winning. Several people get lucky, and more people lose.
The fact is that the Random Number Generator (RNG) chip in the machine determines what the percentage of payback on a machine is. It does not know who is playing or why. That computer chip doesn't care whether you have won or lost in the past, and the casino has no control over it. When a winning combination happens, it happens.
The most interesting discussion of gambling luck in your English Class may come from a horrible story. In 2000, a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas, Cynthia Jay-Brennan won a record $35 million, playing a MegaBucks slot machine at the Desert Inn. She was lucky, right? $35 million!!!! Shortly thereafter, (6 weeks, I think) she was permanently paralyzed in a car accident, and her sister was killed. They were rear-ended at a stoplight by a drunk driver.
I received a trade magazine, Strictly Slots, with an editorial titled something like "Wish I Was Her". The author was envious of the winner. She was SO lucky. Apparently, the deadline for the magazine article crossed with the news of the horrible car wreck. It really was painful to read, knowing how unlucky she really was, and nobody would really want to be her. The following month, the magazine offered an apology.
Chuck, I hope this is useful to you. I hope it answers your "burning question", and also helps you with your project. I also hope it sparks some good debate.
