Crazy Gambling Facts
Gambling has always been stereotypically viewed as a maverick form of entertainment with gangsters and movie stars often associated with spending their free time on the casino floors. Are casino gambling facts really that different from their fiction? Here are some crazy gambling and casino facts and trivia that you will shock you.
Australians spending more each year on gambling than other activities such as sports, entertainment, and cultural events.
$50 into $40 Million
Over a three year period between 1992 and 1995, world famous professional poker player Archie Karas went on an unbeaten winning streak at the blackjack tables at land-based casinos across the US. This winning streak became colloquially known as "The Run" and made Karas an instant gambling icon. However, Karas and his reputation were brought into disrepute when he was arrested in 2013 for marking cards at a blackjack table at the Indian-owned Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, California.
The Biggest Bet
In one of the more interesting casino facts, the largest legal bet ever placed was $2.4 million at a Las Vegas casino by one punter and his son who backed the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XXIX at odds of 1/8. The 49ers did win and the punter won $300,000.
The "Dead Man's Hand"
At the poker table if a player shows a hand of a pair of Aces and 8s then they will be told they have a "Dead Man's Hand". The story behind this is that American Old West historical figure "Wild Bill" Hickok was holding this hand at the poker table when he was shot dead on 2nd August, 1876 at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory.
Poor Old Pokemon
In 2001, Muslim extremists declared a fatwa on Pokemon because they believed it promoted Judaism, evolution, and gambling. The last of those was based on the fact players could take each other's Pokemon characters during battles.
A Sailor's Run
The Las Vegas Desert Inn is home to two glass-encased dice. The story behind the dice is that a sailor made 27 consecutive wins with the dice on Craps, odds equalling 12,467,890/1. However, he did not bet the house limit so only walked away with $750 as opposed to the potential $268 million he could have won.
Casino Table Sandwich
One of the crazier casino facts is that the first sandwich ever invented was inspired by gambling at the casino tables. Its creator, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, wanted to eat a type of food that could be eaten with one hand so he could remain active at the casino tables. He placed a slice of meat between two pieces of bread and thus created the sandwich.
The Largest Slot Machine Win
An example of one of the most important casino industry facts is that the largest slots jackpot in history is recorded at $39,713,982.25 on 21st March, 2013. The winner was from Los Angeles and was playing $100 per spin on the three coin Megabucks slot at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas.
The Largest Online Slots Win
The largest online slots jackpot recorded was €17,860,868 at the European-based Paf Casino by an anonymous player on 20th January, 2013.
Australians Love to Gamble
40% of all Australians claim to gamble at least once every week. This contributes to Australians spending more each year on gambling than other activities such as sports, entertainment, and cultural events. 20% of the world's high intensity gambling machines are also located within Australia.
The Crown Casino Melbourne Incident
In 2013, a man gained access to the live video feeds of the Crown Casino Melbourne casino security cameras and used this access to help his accomplice cheat the casino out of a staggering $33 million. In a dark day for the casino, it is considered one of the more notorious Crown Casino Melbourne facts.
Roulette – The Devil's Game
When all of the numbers on a roulette wheel, 1-36, are added together the sum equals 666. This is considered to be the number of the Devil and this is one of the main reasons why gambling has long been seen as an evil activity by certain cultures and societies.
Suits and Society
The four different suits on playing cards are inspired by different classes in French society. The spades represent royalty, the hearts are the clergy, the diamonds are the merchants, and the clubs represent the peasants.
Slots vs Citizens
There are so many slot machines situated in Las Vegas that for every eight citizens of Sin City there is one slot machine to account for them. The official population for Las Vegas was last recorded at 583,736. That means the city is estimated to hold 72,967 slot machines.
The Odds Are Forever Not In Your Favour
There are 2,598,960 possible poker hands that can be hit during a 5 card hand poker game using a standard 52 card deck. This means that the chances of hitting a Royal Flush are 1 in 649,740 on any one hand.
