5 Common Online Casino Myths Dispelled
You’ve decided to dip your toes into the world of online casino gaming, armed to the teeth with all those online casino myths.
First off, well done you. You’ll find an abundance of slot, blackjack and roulette games to enjoy on the trusty world wide web. It’s understandable, however, you may be a little confused by the rumours you hear flying around. About things like rigged games and guaranteed wins? That’s why, with the help of the experts from bgo, we’re taking a moment to dispel 5 of the most common myths about the online casino.
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# 1: Online casino games are rigged.
This is one of the most common myths you’ll hear. But the fact is, games at online casinos are just as likely to be rigged as those in brick-and-mortar casinos. Providing you do your homework and play at only fully-licensed and regulated sites, you can trust that the outcomes will be completely random and fair.
This is because online casino games like slots and roulette are controlled by a Random Number Generator (RNG). Whilst each game does have a ‘house edge’ – a built-in statistical advantage over the player, to help protect the casino from going bust (they are a business after all) –, the casino has no way of knowing whether a player will win or lose. How you fare is down to one thing really: luck.
# 2: You’re due a win.
Remember what the ‘R’ stands for in RNG? That’s right: Random.
Never think you’re due a win just because you’ve been losing a lot recently. Or perhaps you think you’re on a supposed ‘winning streak’ (for the record, there’s no such thing). Each of your bets are classed as independent events. This means that the outcome is not affected by whether you’ve won or lost previously. It’s all completely random.
This is an important fact to remember, to ensure you don’t get carried away chasing losses. Don’t follow the logic that your luck will at some point have to change. The logic is flawed!
# 3: There’s no strategy involved
Okay, so you know how we’ve just been talking about how game outcomes are completely random? Well, we’re now going to tell you that there is a way to put yourself in a more favourable position when playing certain online games. That may seem to contradict what we’ve said previously. But hear us out.
Whilst there’s no way to beat the RNG or bribe Lady Luck, you can work to lower the house edge in certain strategy-based online casino games. Think games like blackjack and poker. This is because the overall outcome of the game isn’t determined by just one randomly-generated number. THat’s like it is with slots or roulette. These other games are affected by your decision making, too.
By brushing up on games rules and implementing a sensible strategy, therefore, you can reduce the casino’s statistical advantage. Reduce their advantage over you and make it more likely that you’ll leave the table a winner.
# 4: Card counting is illegal
Whilst we’re on the subject of strategy, there’s another common myth that needs dispelling. Many believe card counting (a strategy that involves keeping track of cards to predict the odds of the next card) is illegal at both brick-and-mortar and online casino blackjack tables. This is simply not true.
There are no laws against counting cards. Having said that, casinos have taken steps to seriously crack down on the activity. This is to protect themselves from constantly going bust. It’s now almost impossible to count cards online. This is true of both regular RNG-controlled blackjack games and live dealer blackjack.
There are plenty of other strategies you can implement to reduce house edge though. If you’re new to online blackjack, we’d recommended a quick browse online before you play. This should reveal hundreds of free strategy guides and tips.
# 5: You’re going to get addicted
It’s no lie that gambling can become a problem for some people. However, compared to the millions who safely enjoy online casino games every day, this is a very, very small number indeed.
What’s more, online casinos aren’t run by crooks looking to get you hooked on their games. Responsible online casinos want their players to have fun. These casinos often have tools you can use to help stay in control of your gambling.
Deposit Limits, for instance, regulate the amount of money you can put into your online account each day, week or month. You’ll also find Session Reminders, that can be set to pop up every so often as you play, so you don’t lose track of time – or how much you’re spending.