Myths About Gambling

People who develop problems with gambling often have false beliefs about how gambling works.

Myth: If I keep gambling I’ll win back the money I’ve lost.
Truth: The outcome each time you gamble is completely independent from any other time, so your odds are no more in your favour on your first bet, as they are on your tenth. Over time, risking more and more will only produce greater losses.

Myth: I almost won on the slots. This means that I am due for a win.
Truth: Firstly, there is no such thing as “almost winning” or a “near miss” because the symbols that come up when you do not win are simply displays of losing combinations. A near miss is in fact a total miss – a loss. Secondly, every slot play is independent of each other so that past losses (or wins) in no way predict future outcomes.

Myth: If I play more than one slot machine or more than one hand I’ll increase my chances of winning.
Truth: Sure, you win more often playing two machines, or two blackjack hands, versus one. But make no mistake, you also spend and ultimately lose more doing so. While your opportunities to win will increase, so will your opportunities to lose and remember, the chances of losing far outweigh the chances of winning.

Myth: Picking certain lottery numbers will improve my chances of winning.
Truth: Every number combination has the same chance of being picked. The winning number selection is random and independent from previous draws. You cannot influence the outcome, so, for example, betting the same weekly numbers or choosing non-consecutive (2-8-25-32…) instead of consecutive (1-2-3-4….) numbers won’t help you win..

Myth: If I see a certain card coming up often in a poker game, I should bet on it because chances are this card will be dealt again very soon.
Truth: Since each hand is independent from the last, the chances of a certain card coming up again are no greater than the chances of any other card coming up. In fact, the chances of the card being drawn are no more and no less than the chances it had when it came up in earlier hands.

Myth:A slot machine that hasn’t paid out for a long time is due for a win
Truth: Although machines may appear to run in cycles, they do not. The odds of winning stay the same and past performance does not affect future outcomes. So even if the probability of winning is a very generous 40% and the machine has lost 1000 times in a row, the chances of winning on the next play remain 40%. Each play is independent of others.

Myth: Slot machine strategies such as pressing the button at a certain time, “hitting and running”, or playing until it pays will help me win.
Truth: These strategies will not improve the chances of winning because wins and losses are random events and every spin is independent of other spins. Slot machines use computers that randomly pick numbers to determine where the reels will stop before they’re even set in motion. There is nothing you can do to the machine that will affect this determination.

Myth: Someone can steal your jackpot
Truth: Many players have experienced a situation where someone has left a machine after a long playing period, only to see someone else win at that machine soon after. While this may be true, it is likely a memory bias. People recall these events because it is often accompanied by anger, regret, or amazement. They however, never recall the countless situations where this does not happen, quite simply because it is not remarkable.