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Shot of oil. Many people have heard that before you go out for a wild night of drinking, that if you take a shot of vegetable or olive oil, that it almost guarantee that you won’t get a hangover due to the coating properties of the oil. Well now some of the casino bars have recognized that this could be a service so for fifty cents you can order a shot of vegetable oil or for buck you can order a shot of extra virgin olive oil before your night of partying. |
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Look Ma, no hands! Here’s one that I really think is true but maybe someone out there can verify it for me. Supposedly, casinos have slowly phased out hand deck shuffling by installing automatic shufflers. Gamblers used to get a break while dealers reshuffled. Now it’s a constant flow of cards which increases the number of hands per hour and that means more money for the house. |
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Everyone is winning! You may notice that when you enter a casino, there’s a constant barrage of noises. Slot machines spin, games ding and dong, coins hit metal, there’s the soft patter of the people running the games, etc. Many of these sounds, like the ringing of the slots, is purposely placed background noise to give people a false hope of winning. “If all of those bells are ringing, somebody must be winning!” There’s constant research on all aspects of the sensory experience: scents, colors, interior design, even the angles of lights. Supposedly light that hits people’s foreheads is a no-no because it apparently drains gamblers of energy. It’s kind of like being brain washed into thinking you’re going to win. |
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Who moved my cheese? It’s said that the casinos are built in a way so that there’s intentionally poor navigation. They are built like mazes so that it’s usually tough to find a way out. The more you have to wander around to get out, the more likely that you’ll stop to place a bet or get a drink. Also, in case of a robbery, a criminal can’t just run straight for the door. They have to work their way through the maze the same as anyone else. |
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High traffic payoff. Here’s another myth that the casinos strategically place slot machines that pay out more often near high traffic areas like the aisles, change booth, restaurants, etc. so more people witness winners. While this may seem true, the odds of winning are totally random. Or are they? |
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Casinos Don't Have Windows |
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There are no windows. Gamblers have no idea whether it’s light or dark or sunny or rainy outside. This, along with dealers not wearing watches creates an atmosphere where time becomes meaningless. The less you care about what's going on outside, the more you care about staying inside the casino where it is fun. |
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All or nothing. Here’s a myth about a foreign businessman that comes to a casino once a year with a million dollars in his briefcase. He bets all of the money on one roll of the dice at the craps table. Whether he wins or loses, he leaves immediately, only to return the following year with another briefcase full of cash. Last I checked, the betting limit on the craps table was a lot less than a million dollars but if a person is special enough, who knows? It just might happen. The myth continues to evolve over the years but I don’t know if it has any basis on fact or not. Maybe you know and will tell me! |
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Look up and pray. There is a wonderful myth that above the casino floor is a room where a casino employee watches gamblers on video cameras, deciding which person should win the next jackpot using their ‘eye in the sky’ cameras. The truth is that the machines operate independently and the staff who oversee the casino is the secure rooms with all the cameras really do have more important jobs than trying to figure out who’s going to be the next big winner. |
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Here’s one I’ve heard plenty of times. Slot machines are breaking down because people are pouring holy water into the coin slots for good luck, rusting the insides of the machines. Slot machines aren't being anointed with holy water, (but maybe beer by accident). If someone did pour some kind of liquid into a slot machine, it wouldn't hurt the aluminum workings of the machine. The story probably originated years ago, when more unreliable slot machines would jam when gamblers accidentally spilled their drinks into the coin slots. |
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Here’s sort of a double-myth. Slot machines include a currency detector that validates the coin or money inserted to play. And that is entirely true. But the most recent myth that has come across my desk is that the slot machine industry is updating their dollar slot machines to only accept the new U.S. one dollar coin, which no longer have the words ‘In God We Trust’ imprinted upon them. Supposedly this move by the casino industry is in support of the government’s desire to remove all references to ‘God’ from our money, federal buildings, landmarks, etc. The truth is that the new U.S. one dollar coin still has ‘In God We Trust’ imprinted upon them. Now it’s imprinted on the edge. And as for the slot machines only accepting coins THAT specifically, well that doesn’t seem likely either. 
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They lost so you’re sure to win. Ever hear about a person playing a losing slot machine and walking away only to see someone else sit down and win at the exact machine within a few minutes time? Then here’s a myth that may just be random luck. Many gamblers are said to wander the slot machines waiting for someone who has put a lot of losing money into a machine. When the loser leaves the machine, the gambler immediately begins playing the machine, certain that the computerized system has ‘reset’ itself once a constant flow of coins has stopped coming in and is now ready to pay off. The truth is slot machines are very complex machines which have been painstakingly designed for randomness. If you win after someone else leaves, it’s just plain luck. |
 MYTH: Win the jackpot at the Megabucks slot machine and you face imminent death. FACT: This myth centers around a winner in 2000 who won nearly thirty-five million dollars. After hitting the jackpot, Cynthia Jay-Brennan was hit by a drunk driver weeks later. Contrary to belief, Cynthia was not killed. She was however left paralyzed from the ordeal. We have found no other Megabucks winners who have suffered a major misfortune of health or strange death. |
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