The Truth Shall Set You Free

3 November 2024

By Frank Scoblete

Everyone who gambles in casinos wishes to overcome the house edges on the games they play. Some players, a few, know what those house edges are, some (meaning many) do not know anything of the sort. They actually have little idea of how and why the casino ultimately takes their money.

My sainted mother used to say, “Frankie, the casino wins because it is the casino.” She had no idea of what actually went on within the games as the casino has established them. Thankfully, she was not much of a gambler.

You will notice that no game; be it a table game, a machine game, or a lottery type of game puts the house edge on the machine or table or drawing ticket. The purveyors of the game want us to play it without knowing the factors that set up the house edge over us. They figure more people will play the game if they didn’t know the nature of the house edges. Perhaps that is true.

Just look at the signage at the table game or machine game and you will not find a figure for the house edge. You can, if you want, figure them out. You can read about how the house edges are established; you can even do your own math if you want to. But the edges are not readily given by the casino. So, do more people play these games because they might have no idea of what is really going on?

Maybe.

Of course, people who do know what’s going on also play these games so there is more happening than just the house edge being irrevocably triumphant.

Something else also drives us to play the games. What could that be?

Is that something the same for women as for men? Why do more women favor thus and such a game while more men favor the other type of game? The best example of this is craps – over 90-95 percent of the players are men. Women tend to shy away from this game; shy away big time. And some men even hate it when women play the game unless they are women who are dates (or wives or girlfriends or whatever) of the man who is playing. The World War II guys were this way in the good old days. Those were the days that I discovered craps and the Captain (my mentor) and the Arm, the greatest dice controller I ever saw.

However, the small majority of women favor blackjack and slots and roulette. They like slot tournaments too.

Being totally knowledgeable about this, that, and all the other things about all games I have this to say about all of it – I have no idea why men and women prefer this or that game over thus and such games, or why they prefer it over all those other games who have loads of people preferring them.

I know players who will only play one game; just one. Why is that?

And what about those players who play many games; maybe all the games or close to it Even say, one right after another? I have no idea. I really don’t.

I do have some theories but these are just – let’s be honest here – just thoughts that come into my head. They aren’t scientific studies of human motivation in the gambling arena.

I tend to have the games I like to play, although I will sample most games as it is my business to have ideas about them. But my ideas are not the definitive proof of every game and why it appeals to legions of casino players.

The bottom line is simple from the casinos’ end. Offer games that players want to play and make your casino an enticing place with great atmosphere that allows players not to think deeply about why they will lose in the end when all is said and done.

I remember when I was doing a television show and the interviewer asked me, “Why do people gamble in the casinos? Does that really make sense when they are destined to ultimately lose? Can you point out why that makes sense to millions of people?”

We were actually doing this interview in the casino as you usually do them in a television studio with a green screen behind you showing casino scenes. I told them to turn the cameras on the slot machines, the table games, the decorations, and they could see that the environment was conducive to “letting it all hang out.” It was a kids’ environment for adults.

And that it was and still is.

The truth about the casinos is in everything the casino does to encourage players to play and everything the players think will happen…maybe...which also allures players to play. The “maybe” is a big word, an alluring word.

Some players just love the casino experience. Casinos do too. That’s the ultimate truth…I guess.

All the best in and out of the casinos.

Frank Scoblete’s books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores