Gambling Superstitions in Casinos: The Good, The Bad And The Most Common

Superstition, defined by Google, is any ‘widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck, or practice based on such a belief’. Therefore, gambling venues and casinos, in particular, are the places where superstitions thrive, thanks to the invariant role that fortune has in all games. It doesn’t matter how much skills and experience you have if luck is not on your side. In the end, gamblers put their money on the line and hope that things will turn out for the best. Thus, we thought it would be fun to find the most widespread gambling superstitions that you may encounter in casinos around the world.

Before we jump into our list, we would like to take a second and say that superstitions, no matter how common, are simple beliefs with no scientific proof to back them. So, try not to take this article too seriously, as the chances are that none of these actions or beliefs are going to change your success when gambling.

Top 5 Good Luck Casino Gambling Superstitions

In the following section, we will take a closer look at the five gambling superstitions that you are most likely to encounter at both conventional and online casinos. Some you may have seen in movies and others will probably surprise you but try to keep an open mind. Without any further ado, here are they:

Lucky Numbers and Colours

Regardless of your country of origin or cultural background, it is a safe bet that particular numbers or numerical sequences are regarded lucky or holy where you come from. A bright example that immediately comes to mind is the number 7, which is considered lucky in most parts of the globe. That being said, many people have their lucky numbers, that they use when playing roulette or the lottery.

Leaving the Table

This next one may seem quite illogical, but which superstition isn’t. Many people think that you will have good luck if you look away or leave the table altogether while the roulette wheel stops rotating, or the dice come to a halt. Even though you will probably see gamblers doing this at a conventional casino, it is online players that do it most often.

Lucky Partners

Winning at the casino is great fun, especially if you have someone to share it with. Now imagine that every time you hit the casino with this someone, you win big time. Therefore, it is not hard to imagine why one of the most popular superstitions amongst gamblers is that there are partners who will bring you luck at the casino tables.

Outfits That Will Help You Win

Believe it or not, gamblers are paying attention to the clothes they wear when they play at the casino. You can often see people attaching magical qualities to an item of clothing or accessories that they own. Most often, that happens after a big win, and players tend to stick to the same outfit in the hope that they will have the same success.

Lucky Charms

The lucky charms are, without a shadow of a doubt, the most widely spread type of gambling superstitions that you will encounter at both online and brick-and-mortar casinos. Regardless whether you keep them in a small pouch or at your desk at home, we know that most of you gamblers have some sort of a lucky charm, most often a horseshoe or a rabbit’s foot.

The 3 Gambling Superstitions That Will Bring Bad Luck in the Casino

Having covered the most common good luck superstitions, it is now time to take a look at the three bad luck signs that most people believe in. Keep in mind that there is no scientific proof that any of these are correct, so if you haven’t believed in them until now, it is probably best to keep it this way.

Going Through the Main Entrance

Going through the front door is considered bad luck since casinos first opened their doors to the public. There is no evidence to when and how this superstition came about, however it is mostly confined to countries in Asia. One of the best stories resolves around the infamous MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Before the casino got refurbished, the main entrance to the building was in the shape of an open lion’s mouth. It was Chinese players that found this especially problematic, as they thought it may bring them double the bad luck.

Lending Money

Lending money to other players at your table is seen as bad luck by superstitious people. They believe that by giving away your funds will be tempting fate. More importantly, however, if the other player turns out to be having a bad day, you will never see your money again.

Unlucky Numbers and Colours

As you could easily imagine, if there are lucky colours and numbers, then they will most probably have their unlucky alternatives. The most notable example is number 13, which is considered unlucky in many cultures around the world, as it is associated with death. Speaking of death, the colour black is also looked at as bringing bad luck. Thus, you will rarely see people betting on 13 black at the roulette tables.