Topic: Would you patronize an online casino?

[Gambler]

It should be a well known fact by now that I work in a casino.  Many of us here are in the IT profession as well.  Every time I see an article about online casino's being the wave of the future and the next big thing I shiver.  Not just because it could be a problem for my livelihood, but because it is something that is so fraught with danger.

Lets get past the possibility of credit card fraud.  Identity theft.  Problem gamblers and minors gambling.  My problem is with the fact that I know computers.  I know what they are capable of.  The slot machines on my casino floor are tested, double tested, and the programs are approved by the state.  That doesn't mean they're foolproof, but it does mean they are fair.  The manufacturer gives to the state the probability charts and the state tests them to make sure that while a patron will most likely lose, they have a chance of winning.  It's not rigged.  If a patron believes there is a problem with a machine or it's program, they can call in the state gaming agents to investigate the problem and see if the patron was treated fairly or not.

That program sitting on a server in the Cayman Islands?  Good luck getting a resolution if there is a bug in the program.  Who's word are you taking that the game is fair?  I'm going to trust the people who are taking my money to make sure that it's not rigged?

A friend of mine who is a programmer spent several months in the islands working for an internet casino doing programming.  During his stint, he discovered a bug in the login program that would allow anyone to log into any account without using a password.  Gee that's safe.  He reported the bug to his boss who supposedly passed it on to someone to fix.  God only knows if it was actually fixed.

Safe?  Not a chance.  I'm going to stick with my local, friendly casino where I can talk to a flesh and blood person any time I need something.

Would You Patronize an Internet Casino?
Yes
No
Casino's are evil and I wouldn't patronize any regardless of what type.

 

[Barabbas]

Whoo-HOO!  First vote!  (a 'NO')

The thrill of the Casino is the lights, the people, the energy and adrenaline....  On-line casinos have none of that and are merely suckerbets for gambling addicts.


Plus, I wouldn't trust 'em.  

 

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO way would I use an online casino.

1. Who knows where it is and how much they are going to rape you for.
2. The fun of sitting at the roulette wheel that is real and not some cheating image.
3. No free drinks.
4. I wouldn't trust them with my credit card info.
5. No pretty waitresses walking around.
6. No free drinks.
7. Good food at low prices.
8. No shows to watch to break the day up.
9. No free drinks.
10. Not being able to watch someone waste away their kid's college funds.
11. Did I mention no free drinks?
 

[Sirgod]

 

Quote:
3. No free drinks.  

That was my first thought actually.  
I voted No Gambler. Hehe, My Parent in laws where living in Vaegas for the first 5-6 years of my marriage, so my wife and I where there alot of times. Of course we never went beyond the 1/4 slots, except for once. we each decided to play $20.00 on the dollar slots, and walked away with winnings over $2,500.00 It re-embersed us for the airfare and the stay at the Excalaber.

Stephen
 

[Barabbas]

Oh, yeah.  I fergot the free drinks....

 

[msnevil]

Warning personal beliefs: This might sound stupid but I don't want to put God\chance to the test. Besides I never earned it. I work for what I earn. Not I work and hope to get more.

Besides your all right, Why gamble when you can buy beer.  

[Barabbas]

Quote:
Warning personal beliefs: This might sound stupid but I don't want to put God\chance to the test. Besides I never earned it. I work for what I earn. Not I work and hope to get more.

Besides your all right, Why gamble when you can buy beer.  

It's a thin line between gambling because it's _FUN_, with real money on the line, the hope of a win, the high-tension, lights, sounds, energy, free drinks, pretty waitresses and adrenaline, and gambling only because you're trying to make money.

[Soreyes]

Not only NO!!!!!!  But Heck NO!!!!!!

You just don't have the Vibe!

Let's see: Plane Tickits...Check.  Hotel Room Reservation...Check.  J'inns little handbook of Debauchery...Check

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!!! Here I come    T-11 days and counting

[Lurker]

I said No. I don't gamble anyway, I don't have anything against it. I just don't glean any fun from risking money something when the odds are overall against you on average. But, I would far more trust the physics and solidity of a roulette wheel than a bit of code somebody had written.    

[NCC2012]

The local casino here has one of the BEST buffets around. You can't duplicate THAT online!  

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

 

Quote:
 I said No. I don't gamble anyway, I don't have anything against it. I just don't glean any fun from risking money something when the odds are overall against you on average. But, I would far more trust the physics and solidity of a roulette wheel than a bit of code somebody had written.  

Nothing wrong with not wanting to gamble at all. I only take as much as I am willing to lose. If I lose it, time to go. The fun thing about the roulette wheel is that it does take a while to lose it, if at all. Spread those bets out (I usually place 4 at a time.)

[J'inn]

NO.   HELL NO. AND NO.

If I'm going to have my money sucked out of my wallet gambling I want the whole shabang!!    Let's see what On-line gambling is missing . . .

-     Gambling.     Got it!!  

-      Oh so wonderful tacky envirnoment.   Well,  I guess since you are at home, it depends .. .  .  For me . . .  GOT IT!!

-     Scantly clad bar maids . . .    NOPE

-     Watered down liquor . . . .    Well yes, if your that cheap at home.

-     Vegas lounge acts.   NOPE!!    Well unless yer at my house and I'm in a Mel Torme kinda mood.

-     and finally . . . . .   SURF AND TURF NIGHT?    NOPE!!


So there you have it . . .   without lots of cheap meat and scantly clad barmaids (or is that redundant?)  online gambling just don't stack up!

 

[Sirgod]

 

Quote:
 So there you have it . . . without lots of cheap meat and scantly clad barmaids (or is that redundant?) online gambling just don't stack up!

Sorry J'Inn you lost me with   At your house.  

stephen

[Stormbringer]

There!There. Nice casino! Ni- Oh! You meant *patronize.*

[Mentat Jon]

No, nor would I go to Brick and Morter Casino,Im the cheapest SOB in America,why on gods green earth would I "give" my hard earned money away??????

sure I "could" win,but all odds are on the house..  

[Barabbas]

Quote:

sure I "could" win,but all odds are on the house..  

Learn to play 'Craps', Jon....

[Dash Jones]

Quote:

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sure I "could" win,but all odds are on the house..  

Learn to play 'Craps', Jon....  

Why not BlackJack or Poker instead.  You put in twenty dollars into an 8 person game (The house thus makes 160 dollars right there) and then, the best player takes all the rest...at least in some games.  Only been to Vegas once.  Had a great time there though.

[BortaS]

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Quote:

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sure I "could" win,but all odds are on the house..  

Learn to play 'Craps', Jon....  

Why not BlackJack or Poker instead.  You put in twenty dollars into an 8 person game (The house thus makes 160 dollars right there) and then, the best player takes all the rest...at least in some games.  Only been to Vegas once.  Had a great time there though.  

Craps is the best odds in the house.  Everyone can win, not just one person.  Blackjack is my second choice.  You just got to memorize basic strategy and stick to it!  Poker in Vegas is something you should never do unless you play all the time.  The locals will eat you up!  It may seem like a simple game, but it's the art of it that takes a lifetime to learn.  Roulette is fun, but it is about the worst odds in the casino.  If you hit, it's good money but in the long haul roulette is a loser.

Other fun games such as let it ride or caribbean studd are just for the tourists.  They are easy to learn and fun, with some big paybacks but you are better off giving your money to a bum on the street.

Video poker, if you learn the proper strategy can have better odds than craps, but I don't think it's as much fun.

The best thing to remember is gambling is just a form of entertainment.  When you go, just set a budget.  Be an informed consumer, and lean what you're doing.  For the most part I'm break even at a casino.  Several times I have won thousands, other times nothing or lost.  When I lose I factor in the free booze, buffets and what a regular night on the town would cost.  If you're careful and play smart you can have great fun at a casino and not spend much.  The best fun is when they are counting hundred dollar bills in your hand!  

[Barabbas]

Quote:
Why not BlackJack or Poker instead.  You put in twenty dollars into an 8 person game (The house thus makes 160 dollars right there) and then, the best player takes all the rest...at least in some games.  Only been to Vegas once.  Had a great time there though.  

In every casino game, The House has the advantage.  This can best be understood as a ratio of the odds of winning versus the payout.  For instance, in Roulette, the odds of winning are 1-in-38 (36 numbers, plus green 0, plus green 00) but the payout is only 36-to-1 (that is, win 36 dollars for every dollar you bet).  Thirty-six divided by thirty-eight is 0.95; ninety-five percent, and that means that you are effectively 'giving up' 5% to the house every time you bet.  For every $1000 bet at a roulette table (on the average), the players will win $950, while the house wins $50.  This is how the casino makes money.  (Please note that there are a dozen different ways to bet the roulette wheel, and the odds remain the same regardless because the payout structure and the chance of winning are symetrical).

So anyway, in Craps you are allowed to place certain bets which the house has NO edge over whatsoever, and using those bets the overall edge of the casino can be reduced to less than 1%.  These bets are not actually printed on a craps table, but it is a legal bet in every casino in the country.  Incidently, avoid the bets in front of the stickman - they're all bad... Especially the 'Horn' bet, which allows gamblers to make four bad bets at once!  

How does this help?  After all, the house still has the advantage and over time should come out ahead....  Well, if you're gonna gamble, the strategy would be to use your knowledge of the game to stay as close to 'break-even' (or above) as possible until a nice big fat run of good dice rolls comes along.  Make your money there, and then walk away.

...And hope the dice don't turn cold first!  
 

[KOTH-Steel Claw]

 

Quote:
 Roulette is fun, but it is about the worst odds in the casino. If you hit, it's good money but in the long haul roulette is a loser.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm............... I play roulette all the time when I go to Vegas. I guess it is a matter of how you spread your bets. I usually place 4 chips per spin. 1 One single number,  1 two numbers together, 1 four numbers together, and one other.