The casino floor is a magical place, with an array of bright lights, colourful machines and exciting sounds to tickle the senses. Perhaps because of their association with a number of high profile Hollywood movies, casinos have an air of intrigue about them that can pique the interest of even the most casual of gamblers. The pageantry of it all is thrilling, and the dressage of the machines is designed to obscure their mechanism, whether you’re spinning the roulette wheel or cranking up the slot machines. 

However, gambling isn’t all smoke and mirrors, and these days there are more than a few gambling myths going around that deserve to be debunked. In this article we’ll go through some commonly held views about gambling that are not quite correct, showing you instead where the truth really lies.

Feeling lucky? Great, because you’ll need a healthy dose of luck if you want to succeed in the gambling world. However, luck isn’t the only component of a successful streak, which is why we’ve chosen to debunk this myth as the first in our list. 

They say that chance favours the prepared mind, and that’s exactly why it’s important to make sure you’re ready in all departments when it comes time to hit the casino. While luck plays a role, skill and strategy are crucial in many forms of gambling. Games like poker and blackjack require a combination of skill, strategy and understanding the odds. 

By properly understanding the game or machine you’re gambling on, and knowing how to tip the odds in your favour, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of making a healthy profit. The rest is down to Lady Luck!

There’s no doubt about it, gambling is a game that combines cold hard numbers and red hot confidence. The numbers never lie, and you should be under no illusion that you’re entering a world of probability and statistics that, while gamable to an extent, will never be free from the element of sheer chance. However, that’s not to say that there’s no room for gut instinct and feeling. It is all in the name of entertainment, after all, so why shouldn’t you take a punt when you’re feeling like your luck is in?

All well and good, but be wary of falling into the trap of inferring an outcome from a succession of results, either good or bad. The idea that a machine or a person is “due” for a win is a fallacy, regardless of the streak they have been on. Each spin or hand is independent of previous outcomes, and there is no pattern that guarantees a win or a loss. 

So, the next time you’ve chained a few wins or losses together, have a word with yourself before you put the next bet on. As human beings, we’re predisposed to search for patterns in the world around us, but there’s no truth in hot or cold streaks in gambling. As much as you’d like to believe your betting history plays a part, what happens next is not based on the past!

Casino Ireland slot machines are a fun way to bet, as they require you to wager a small amount of money in the hope that your stake is rewarded by a major payout. Each of our Premier Casino locations is kitted out with the very latest digital slot technology, with linked jackpot machines that build towards a much bigger prize pool than any single machine can offer. 

It is the draw to a major jackpot win that makes slots so universally exciting among punters, but some mistakenly assume that casinos have control over the payouts. Slot machines operate on random number generators (RNGs), ensuring that each spin is random. Casinos cannot control the outcome of individual spins or dictate when a machine will pay out.

When you drop a coin into the slot and push a button or pull a lever to trigger the machine, the RNGs click into gear and the outcome is then randomly generated. If you end up seeing the symbols on the screen line up in a payline, you haven’t been picked for a payout, you’re just lucky!

When there is large amounts of money up for grabs in a commercial industry, you’ll always find people who have come up with shortcuts, strategies and inventive routes to success that help them to thrive. The gambling industry is no different, and there are a number of betting systems that come with their own unique approach to managing risks and maximising rewards. 

Betting systems attract attention for their simple promise of recouping losses or making gains, and proponents of each will declare their chosen system as the key to their success. However, there is no such thing as a sure bet in gambling, and you should be distrustful of any system that claims to guarantee wins.

No system guarantees success, whether it’s the Martingale system – the doubling-up strategy favoured for its simplicity; the Fibonnaci system – a more controlled and gradual approach; the Labouchere system – a flexible risk management style of betting; or the D’Alembert system – a balanced and steady progression. They might provide short-term gains, but in the long run, the house edge prevails, and no system can change the fundamental odds of a game.

By going into a casino in one of our prime locations in Dublin or Cork, you’re guaranteed to have a thrilling experience in an enjoyable environment. Patrons can place bets with their own hands and see the games in front of them, which gives confidence that everything is being handled in the correct manner.

While there’s nothing like pulling up a chair at the blackjack table, or peering into the roulette wheel with a wager in mind, online casinos also offer their own style of entertainment. Often, they come in for unfair criticism from people on the other side of the screen who claim that the games are rigged against them. Perhaps the extra degree of separation in the digital world enables gamblers to feel justified in making this accusation, but it’s another myth that needs to be dispelled.

Reputable online casinos use advanced technology and undergo regular audits to ensure fair play for all who use their services. Rigging games would permanently harm their reputation, as well as leading to legal consequences that could drag a business under. So, breathe easy the next time you’re placing a bet online. You’ve got just as much chance as you do in person!

This one goes out to the non-believers and the cynics who say that you can’t win at gambling. In 1986, a professional poker player took on the IRS and won a ruling based on his argument that poker is a skill. If poker is a skill, that means you can become good at it, and if you’re good at it, you can win!

OK, so it might not be as simple as that, but what’s clear is that (setting aside blind luck, which can be wielded by anyone for a big win) you can win more often than you lose in gambling with the right approach. Professional gamblers, particularly in poker and sports betting, exemplify that with a combination of expertise, strategic decision-making, and a thorough understanding of the odds, consistent winnings are attainable.

While the house always has an edge, and the majority of gamblers may experience losses, those who approach gambling strategically and responsibly can indeed achieve positive outcomes. Skills pay the bills, and skilled players can gain an advantage in certain games.

Although gambling can be a fun, safe way of enjoying yourself, for many it is wrapped up in an addiction that can destroy lives. Most people are able to place a casual wager without harm, and continue with their lives, but there are those who get caught into compulsive gambling spirals that are often beyond their control.

While it might seem from the outside that a compulsive gambler is choosing to recklessly throw away their money, the truth is more complex than that. It’s essential to understand that gambling addiction is a recognized psychological disorder, not a simple matter of choice. Addiction issues are rarely a conscious decision, rather a coping mechanism used to deal with deep rooted issues from past trauma or similar emotional distress.

Compulsive gamblers, despite often being able to acknowledge the negative consequences of their gambling habits, find themselves compelled to continue, experiencing a loss of control. The American Psychiatric Association, in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), classifies gambling disorder as a behavioural addiction, emphasising the need for professional intervention and treatment.

Ice hockey hall of famer Wayne Gretzky is quoted as saying “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”, meaning that your only route to success is by actually attempting something. This is undoubtedly true, but from that point on it’s not a guarantee that your chances of succeeding will keep increasing the more you try. 

When it comes to gambling, there is no causation between time spent and money won. Spending more time at a casino or playing more hands does not increase your chances of winning, plain and simple. Each game has its own odds, and playing longer doesn’t alter those probabilities. 

Practice makes perfect, and you can prepare yourself to the utmost by locking down your strategies and skills, but quantity does not equal quality in gambling. Once you start, it’s important to know when to stop.

In life, there are few opportunities to make a quick buck. We clock into our jobs in the morning, clock out at night, and receive a paycheck at the end of the month that keeps us going until the next one. Climbing the ladder can be gruelling, so it’s no surprise that people are enticed by any scheme that purports to deliver financial gain.

Gambling, with its potential for huge windfalls that can arrive almost instantaneously, can be alluring to those who find themselves wishing for a few extra euros. However, gambling should be seen as entertainment, not a reliable source of income. The vast majority of gamblers lose money, and the house edge ensures that, over time, the casino profits.

The reality is that, for the vast majority, gambling should be approached as a form of entertainment, a recreational activity rather than a financial strategy. With this in mind, it’s important to practise responsible gambling, by setting realistic expectations, establishing financial limits, and treating losses as the cost of entertainment.

Our final myth is perhaps more directed at the citizens of the United States, but there is some confusion over the laws around online gambling in Europe also. It’s a common misconception, particularly in North America, that online gambling is universally illegal. The truth is that online gambling laws vary by jurisdiction, according to the individual laws of regions and countries.

Europe is made up of 44 countries, and most allow gambling to some degree, but there are completely contrasting approaches that exist. The UK for example, allows all forms of online gambling. On the other hand, Germany imposes stringent laws to regulate online sports betting and casino games. These differences in legal frameworks exist in the States too, where online gambling is legal in just seven out of 50 states.

In Ireland, online casino gambling is legal. Ireland’s gambling laws specifically made it allow citizens to engage in licensed and regulated offshore gambling as well as licensed domestic online gambling. This dates back to the early 2000’s, where the country began to integrate locally licensed interactive betting into our gambling market.

Find out today why premier casinos are Ireland’s favourite casinos. With locations in Cork, Dublin and Kerry, we have all the casino games you expect from Ireland’s leading casino. 

Visit today to claim your free €20 bet, and start winning big today.