14 Facts to Amaze, Astound and Bore Your Friends to Death With!

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Let’s be honest – you cannot consider yourself a casino connoisseur if you don’t have your own unique stockpile of odd (and sometimes interesting) facts and figures to quote. Which for the most part tend to be the kinds of facts and figures that have absolutely no practical value whatsoever, but nonetheless demonstrate just how fabulous you are!

In any case, it’s always good to have at least a few pearls of wisdom on standby for those occasions when the subject of casino gaming comes up. Snippets and factoids that enable you to dive into the spotlight for a few seconds at least, wowing those in your social circles and proving how much better than them you are!

Deny it all you like, but you’re no doubt a sucker for the satisfaction that accompanies fact-quoting, just like everyone else!

So to arm you with a few select weapons to be brought into action as and when required, we thought we had share with you another instalment of amazing casino facts and figures. Some of which are admittedly more interesting than others, but still – every one’s a fact your mates probably aren’t aware of.

  1. 1. First up, you probably didn’t realise it but the word ‘casino’ actually derives from the Italian word ‘Casa’ which means house. The reason being that the first casinos in the world – at least in an official capacity – were opened in little houses along the Mediterranean Coast.
  3. 2. The kinds of official poker chips used in casinos and tournaments all over the world usually weigh almost exactly 10g. Exactly why this is the case we can’t tell you – it just is!
  5. 3. In terms of the most unfortunate gambling losses of all time, legend tells a tale of King Henry VIII managing to lose the bells of St Paul on the single role of a dice! Which probably makes your own stories of heavy losses pale in comparison!
  7. 4. The humble deck of cards only needs to have a relatively modest 52 unique cards in total, due to the fact that this allows for more than 2.5 million different five-hand combinations. Which goes some way to explain why you and pretty much every poker buddy you’ll ever meet never has and never will strike it lucky with a royal flush!
  9. 5. In some countries, roulette is given the somewhat sinister title of “the devil’s wheel” due to the fact that if you combine all the numbers on the wheel, the resulting total is 666. Scary!
  11. 6. Believe it or not, citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble at the Monte Carlo Casino. Princess Caroline took it upon herself to personally make it illegal for Monaco’s citizens to gamble at the casino, as a means by which to ensure that its revenues were generated 100% from the pockets of foreigners.
  13. 7. Contrary to popular belief, there is absolutely nothing illegal about card counting and nor does it represent cheating. It is simply a strategic and mathematical approach to blackjack like any other. Nevertheless, it has a tendency to breach the internal policies of many casinos and can therefore get you thrown out, perhaps even banned for life.
  15. 8. One for the foodies out there – legend has it that the very first sandwich was invented in the confines of a casino. Apparently, the fourth Earl of Sandwich all the way back in the year 1765 decided that he couldn’t bear the thought of walking away from his favourite gambling activities to eat. So he instead instructed his staff to construct a bizarre concoction, which involved two slices of bread and a hunk of meat in-between. Imagine a world where the sandwich had never been invented!
  17. 9. While it’s far more common to be given your marching orders from the casino workforce, it is nonetheless entirely possible to voluntarily ban yourself from a casino. Just as is the case with most online casinos, those who find themselves spiralling out of control can opt for what’s known as “voluntary exclusion” – essentially meaning that for an allocated period of time or even the rest of their lives, they will not be allowed back into the casino under any circumstances.
  19. 10. When slot machines were first invented, they didn’t appear in casinos and nor were they in fact anywhere near Las Vegas. Instead, the very first slot machine was positioned in a car repair shop in San Francisco, in order to give people something to do while they were waiting for their cars to be fixed.
  21. 11. Though every gambler will have his or her own unique personal preferences, the smart money never goes on American roulette when European roulette is available. The reason being that in a statistical and factual sense, it is more difficult to win when playing American roulette than European roulette. Hence, it isn’t worth bothering with if you have the luxury of choice.
  23. 12. You know that rumour about casinos pumping a ton of additional oxygen onto their gaming floors to relax customers and make them spend more? Well, they’re all complete and utter garbage! The number of regulations and criminal laws doing so would break is enormous to say the least. It would be the same as casinos deliberately spiking the drinks of customers, which likewise is something that absolutely doesn’t happen.
  25. 13. Believe it or not, penny slot machines make more money for the average casino than any other game across the board. The reason being that not only do casinos tend to have more penny slots than any other games, but they also attract far more casual gamers than other slots and table games. To such an extent that penny slots sometimes contribute around 70% of a casino’s total takings.
  27. 14. Last but not least, to say they take gambling seriously in and around Las Vegas would be something of an understatement. In fact, the Nevada State Prison used to have its very own casino for its inmates. Clearly a case of gambling being seen less as a luxury and more of a basic human right!

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