In Hollywood films, casinos are surrounded by glamour, suits, and players with a nice drink in hand. Here, the world’s elite gather to swiftly collect cards, stack chips on the table, and then lose everything – since, of course, all casinos supposedly have a huge advantage – or do they?
After watching countless Hollywood films with a casino theme, it’s time for us to take a closer look at four common casino myths and see what’s actually true at land-based casinos and online casino. Perhaps some of these myths will surprise you just as much as they surprised us?
Casinos Rig the Games in Their Favour
Let’s start with the biggest myth of them all – that it’s hard to win money. How often have you seen in films that players lose large amounts of money and never seem to walk away with any notable wins? It’s easy to believe that casinos rig the games in their favour – but that’s actually not the case.
All casinos have a house edge in their games, meaning a certain percentage of all money wagered goes back to the casino. In blackjack, it’s often 0.5–2%, although it can vary depending on the casino, the game, and the rules. This house edge is fixed, but it also means that 98% or more of all wagered money is paid out to players in the form of winnings. So, you’ve got a good chance to win a share of those payouts if you play smart and get good cards. The idea that casinos rig the games is, therefore, not true. Computerised games are monitored and audited by an independent third party, and live dealers have no control over the decks.
You’ll Be Thrown Out If You Win Too Much
Another common casino myth often seen in films is that players get thrown out of the casino if they win too much money. That’s obviously not true – you’re allowed to win as much money as you like, as long as you behave yourself and don’t cheat.
In the well-known Hollywood film Rain Man, there’s an iconic scene where the main character counts cards in blackjack – and card counting is something most casinos do not accept. It’s considered a method of cheating, so if the casino catches you counting cards, you may be asked to leave.
However, card counting is practically impossible at online casinos with computerised games because the game mechanics are based on a random number generator that shuffles the cards. If you’re playing live casino games, the deck is shuffled continuously to make it difficult for players to keep track. So, there’s no risk of getting thrown out for such “cheating” online.
There Are Only Luxurious Casinos with Wealthy Players
If you watch casino films like Casino Royale, you might think casinos are only for wealthy players in suits, looking to gamble with large sums of money. There are crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, guards everywhere, and not a speck of dust on the carpet.
This is, of course, a common casino myth that’s easy to believe if you watch Hollywood films featuring casino scenes. Hollywood tends to glamourise reality, but that’s not at all what casinos really look like. In Sweden, for example, you’re welcomed by clean, modern buildings – sure, sometimes with chandeliers – but players come from all walks of life. You’ll see lawyers in suits, headteachers in dresses, and care assistants in jeans. Everyone’s in for a fun night of gaming with an alcoholic drink in hand.
The same goes for online casinos. We’d almost bet that both your neighbours, colleagues, and relatives play at online casinos now and then. It doesn’t matter whether your bankroll is 100 kronor or 5,000 kronor per night – everyone’s welcome, and it certainly doesn’t matter what you’re wearing!
It’s Easy to Rob a Casino
A fun casino myth that it’s time to debunk is the idea that robbing a casino is easy. Have you ever watched Ocean’s Eleven and thought it looked pretty simple to rob the casino’s vaults full of money? That’s 100% fiction and completely untrue. Land-based casinos have extremely high levels of security, and it’s incredibly rare for anyone to even attempt to rob a gaming venue.
Trying to rob an online casino is also a completely lost cause, as there’s no physical money to take. Sure, you could try to hack into an online casino’s bank accounts, but all online casinos have at least the same level of security as land-based ones. All transactions are encrypted with the highest level of security, and it’s impossible for an outsider to trace where the money comes from or where it’s going. The only way to get money from a casino is to win it.