Interesting Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Casinos and Gambling

Gambling is a pastime that many people enjoy, and casinos themselves are places of entertainment, relaxation, and sight-seeing for many. Many people are even involved in playing online games, using a Harrah’s Casino promotion code or some other similar one. Few people, however, know much about the world of casinos and gambling. To give you some food for small talk the next time you need it, here are some interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about the gambling world.

Gambling Saved FedEx

The founder of FedEx, Frederick Smith, made an impromptu visit to Las Vegas when the company was on the cusp of bankruptcy. Playing with the company’s remaining funds, he was able to make enough of a profit to keep the company in business for a few more weeks, which then led to an influx of new funding.

Largest Slot Win

Whenever you walk by a slot machine and wonder how much people actually win on them, you’ll remember the Los Angeles engineer who got beyond lucky. Playing with just $100 in a Las Vegas slot machine, this lucky individual walked away with a jackpot of over $39 million.

Voluntary Self Control

To help curb problem gambling, many states have enacted laws that allow for voluntary exclusion from casinos.

Losing Track of Time

Ever notice how there aren’t any clocks or windows in a casino? In fact, there’s nothing in the casino that will give you even a hint about what time of day it is. And that’s exactly the point. The reasoning behind this is so that gamblers don’t realize how long they’ve been in the casino.

Slot Machine Origination

The first slot machine was actually not even created for a casino or gambling hall. A man named Charles Rey made the first machine in 1895 and installed it in his auto shop to entertain customers while they had their cars worked on. Casinos eventually adopted the machine and installed them as a way to keep customers entertained when the table games were full. The earliest slot machines dispensed flavoured gum instead of coins.

Card Counting is Not Illegal

Counting cards is a legitimate strategy to improve your odds at winning blackjack. While it is perfectly legal, many casinos, for obvious reasons, have strict policies against it and can ask a guest to leave if suspected of counting cards.

A Woman Owned the First (Legal) Casino in Las Vegas

A mother and wife by the name of Mayme Stocker obtained the first legal casino license in Las Vegas in 1920. Her casino, the Northern Club, offered five games: bridge, 500, and lowball, draw, and stud poker.

Penny Slots Are Big Money-Makers

Contrary to common sense and popular belief, penny slots are the most profitable games for most casinos. This is in part because many people bet much more than a penny and because they are cheap to install and maintain, leading to a large return on investment.

From Bingo to Casino

Although they are extremely prevalent now, Indian casinos only became a “thing” as recently as 1979, and it actually started with a bingo hall in Florida. A Seminole tribe ran a bingo hall where members could win $2,000, which was much higher than the state’s legal limit. When the matter went to court, the tribe prevailed and a precedent was set for Indian gambling halls and casinos that went above and beyond state laws.