Gambling and casino operators have several well-kept casino secrets hidden in plain sight, which are often why the house always wins. Below are the most exciting secrets that casinos do not want you to know.
1. Slots Are Placed Strategically
In every casino, all slots are placed with profits in mind. There is nearly no establishment that will place a random assortment of slots across their floor.
Managers and casino owners go through their casino floor plans and focus on the areas with the most traffic. Heavy traffic areas are ideal places for premium slots, which are often ones near the entrance or places that connect to other parts of the casino such as in-house malls or hotels.
When we say premium slots, these games get the most wagers from casino patrons. Slots you see farther in the back are ones most people ignore or get fewer wagers than the average bets within an establishment. You can be sure that the ignored cabinets are the best slots to play at casinos.
2. Many Slots Are Programmed To Pay Less Than Others
New players are likely to be puzzled by how they are getting more wins for every 100 of their spins in one slot machine, but are getting fewer wins in one game. This is due to the game's variance rate. Variance measures the risk vs reward ratio for each game.
Mid-range RTP and high variance slots are what you want in terms of higher payouts. In exchange for the high risk and fewer wins, you can double or quadruple your initial bankroll after several spins with this type of slot machine.
3. Some Slots Hook You With Smaller But More Frequent Wins
When you are getting more winning spins on a certain game, you are likely playing on a high RTP slot. Return to player (RTP) is a statistical measure of how much return a slot can offer. Take note of how much you are getting from this kind of game since these slots tend to give a small payout for each win.
High RTP slots keep you playing long enough that you gradually lose a large chunk of your bankroll to the house. On the other hand, you have full control over your losses with this kind of slot machine.
4. Slots Don't Get Hot Or Cold
There are no such things as a hot or cold slot machine where your payout chances increase or decrease under certain conditions. You will also never find a cheat code for slot machines that will bump your odds of winning. Your odds of winning will always be the same in the evening and morning or after a casino staff serviced a machine.
Unfortunately, digital slots do not have a mechanism that changes their payout rate. All slot machines use a gaming PRNG algorithm to come up with the results or symbols landing on the reels for each spin. Slots being on a winning or losing streak is perhaps the most believed misconception and legend.
5. Casinos Avoid Windows & Clocks To Trick Your Perception Of Time
Enter any casino around the world. You will notice that you cannot see outside or find any way to tell the time. If you are looking at your phone for a long time, you will likely get asked politely by security to put your device away.
Casinos will remove any reminder that you are playing on their gambling floor for hours. As you keep playing, you will likely lose your bankroll to the house. Windows are distraction, and distractions waste casinos' valuable revenue. You can see this in the Pechanga Resort Casino in California which does not have any windows while using bright lights.
6. Game Developers Start Using Fun Animations Even When You Lose As a Mind Trick
Digital casino RNG games tend to have eye-catching animations and sound each time you play a round. It makes sense that you will get euphoric visuals and audio from each wins, including big ones.
However, take note of the animation and sound when you lose. Notice how they make you feel like you are just a few symbols away from a big payout or lack that one scatter symbol to trigger the bonus feature. These animations are intended to make you feel miserable enough that you will keep spinning the reels until you get that endorphin-rich audio and visuals of a major payout.
7. Huge Jackpots Are Often Played Across Multiple Casinos
Major progressive slots that can easily break the $1 million limit are ones connected across various casinos around the nation. Progressive jackpots come from a small portion of a player's wager. The more people play a specific title, the higher its jackpot can reach. The reason why the highest-paying Las Vegas casinos often have $1 million worth of jackpot prizes is due to their progressive slots that are linked to each other.
As a way for popular progressive slots to build their massive jackpot amount, it takes a small chunk of player's bets from every machine across the country and beyond. This is how games such as Mega Moolah can go beyond $10 million in jackpot winnings.
8. Blackjack, Craps & Roulette Have The Best Odds
Of all the games within the gambling floor, blackjack, craps, and roulette have the lowest house edge of 0.5% to 2.70% in respective order. These statistics show that you have more than 97% of winning a high payout when playing these games.
It is important to note that the high house edge requires players to use basic strategies for blackjack and taking the right bets on craps. In the case of roulette, the house has the edge over you if you are playing on a table with 0 and 00 square. Play on a roulette table with only a 0 square to increase your odds against the house.
9. Both Land-Based & Online Casinos Can Legally Ban You If You Win Too Much, Too Often
Casinos are watchful over high payouts. When you win a certain amount, which tends to be around $10K to $50K, you will get the attention of casino security. Players who keep on winning and increasing their bankroll to incredible heights will get a visit from casino staff. If this is you, you will likely get a polite warning that they cannot afford you and will be asked to leave the gambling floor.
It is important to note that casinos can legally ban you since you are playing within their property. However, you will not get banned or be refused your winnings if you achieve a massive payout in one game.
10. Online Casinos Tease You With Amazing Bonuses Knowing You'll Lose More Than You'll Win
Offers that double your deposits or give your free spins are designed to have you spending money on their games. Casino bonuses give you the impression that you have an incredibly high bankroll. Unfortunately, every bonus you receive needs to be wagered before you can withdraw and claim them as your own money.
Once a player used all of their bonuses, they will wager their deposited money and attempt to reach the same amount as they had before when they got their bonus. After spending their money, they will take advantage of the next promo to gain more bonuses and will likely repeat the same cycle of spending their deposited cash.
11. Casinos Love To Make Gamblers Think They Have a Real Chance of Winning, When You Really Don't
There are betting systems such as the that are designed to make players seem like they have a better edge against the house. However, these betting systems have been debunked to give little to no advantages to any players. This also includes using card counting on blackjack tables that use 6 to 8 shoes or even a card shuffling machine (CSM).
It pays to think like a professional and keep it simple by using basic strategies on various games such as blackjacks. Betting systems, card counting, and other "clever" strategies are only there to make the casino more money than the players who use them.
12. A Few Players Don't Even Stop For Bathroom Breaks
When slots are paying out or when a person is going through a serious winning streak, certain players have less time to think about civilly emptying their bladder. If you think this is farfetched, you have yet to experience the life of a casino staff or security personnel.
One of the most common stories shared by dealers and pit bosses are players who wear adult diapers just to keep playing for as long as possible. In addition, horror stories of players that did the deed from where they are sitting are not as rare as you would like to think.
13. Faster Dealers Are Preferred At Night
If you have been playing in casinos for a long time, you are likely to notice that the fastest and experienced dealers are on the night shift. These dealers can go through more than 50 hands within a single hour, allowing tables to take in more bets as possible.
According to our "insiders", faster card tables are ideal at night when more patrons are visiting a casino. Players are also pressured into deciding with the limited time, which tends to result in bad decisions.
14. Most Casino Chips Embed an RFID Chip
Prominent casinos use radio-frequency identification chips (RFID) for various purposes, including security. Each RFID embedded chip allows casinos to track their chip's movements. All stolen Bellagio Casino chips are deactivated to render them useless. Thanks to RFID technology, the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas was able to foil a $1.5 million theft in 2010. In addition, RFID tags make counterfeiting chips virtually impossible since they provide casinos with the means to authenticate their chips.
Casino management can also tag key patrons within their facility through RFID chips. Staff can see any suspicious betting patterns and frequent wins among players using the chips. In addition, management can find high-rollers or big spenders among their patrons. Casino staff can provide these high-rollers with various incentives to keep them playing, such as free meals and accommodations.
It is important to note that RFID chips are only used in higher denomination chips, including active RFID tags that broadcast their signal to a base station. Using RFID tech on expensive chips also makes it easier for staff to track down a significant portion of their money. Some massive theft schemes and scams have been .
15. Visual & Sound Effects Are All Here To Keep You Awake and Focused On The Game
Notice how most players are fully alert and glued to the screen of a casino RNG game despite the noise and lights all around them. This is all thanks to each game's animations, music, and sound effects.
By keeping you on your toes all the time, you are likely to spend more than you intend on slot machines, video poker, or keno machines. This is why patrons who have gone through most of their bankrolls will stop for the day and leave their seats.
Almost every secret in this list shows how casinos can achieve their profit margins while securing their bottom line from potential thefts. Knowing these secrets are also one way of knowing how to beat the house.
This article was published on September 11, 2021, and last updated on October 26, 2022.