A couple of weeks ago, we posted a blog that showed you a few interesting facts about casinos and casino gaming. This week, we will show you a few more fun facts about these gambling establishments that you may not know. These facts include historical trivia, some unbelievable ideas, and even actions dealers make that you might not have noticed before.
These facts about casinos however don’t include facts concerning online casinos and online gaming, but nonetheless, these are still fun ideas to learn about.
Las Vegas isn’t the gambling capital of the world – Yes, you read that right. Las Vegas isn’t the gambling capital of the world anymore. While in the past it was considered the highest earner when it comes to gambling, in recent years, one other gambling city has surpassed them and is now the holder of this title. What city is this? It’s the city of Macau in China. The amount of money that this Chinese city raked in during the previous year is more than twice that of what Vegas earned in the same year. It has been noted that while Vegas brought in $7 billion in revenues in 2019, Macau brought in four times that amount, raking in $28 billion in 2019.
Nevada has outlawed the lottery – This may seem rather weird considering that the state has one of the most popular gambling cities in the world, but yes, they have actually considered lotteries in the state illegal. The reason for this isn’t as nefarious as some people believe but it is a little unfair considering that it is still a form of gambling. The reason why the lottery is not allowed in Nevada? It is to protect the interests of the state’s main income generator, which are the casinos. It has been deemed that the lottery is in direct competition with the casinos so the state has decided to ban it from entering their borders.
Fed-Ex survived due to gambling – Did you know that if it weren’t for the game of blackjack, your favorite courier wouldn’t be around today? As the story goes, the founder of this delivery service found himself struggling to keep the business afloat. All he had in his bank was $5,000 and he owed his fuel provider five times that amount. In desperation, he decided to use his last five thousand dollars on the blackjack tables in the hopes that lady luck smiles on him. As it turns out, that trip to Vegas was fortuitous. He won more than five times the amount he had with him and was able to pay off his fuel supplier. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Locals aren’t allowed to gamble in Monte Carlo – How would you feel if a grand casino was built in your neighborhood and you were told you cannot go play any of the games in it? How about if you were told that you couldn’t even set foot inside? That is what the people in Monte Carlo have to live with and have been living with since the 1800s. It was decreed that locals in the city weren’t allowed to gamble or enter the casino. The reason for this is actually pretty simple. Since the casino was built to help the country, and the area itself, earn money, allowing locals to gamble in the casino kind-of defeated that purpose. Hence the law that was passed stating this rule and only allowing foreigners as well as visitors to the area access to the casinos here.
Old slot machines did not let you win money – Another interesting piece of trivia that people may not be privy to is that all old slot machines did not give away money as prizes. Some of the machines in the past actually gave players the chance to either win gum or tokens. The gum that was given to you then was determined by the fruits that show up on the reels when you spin. If you got grape, you get grape-flavored gum. If you got cherry, you get cherry flavored gum. If you got bar and other types of symbols on the reels, you are rewarded with a specific amount of tokens. These are used towards the purchase of items in the bars that these machines were in. Items you can buy with these tokens included drinks, cigarettes, and sometimes, cigars.
There is almost no legal gambling in Japan – This is a law that has been around for ages and is followed by the citizens of this Asian country to-a-T. For those who feel an itch to gamble however, there is a workaround. If you want to try your luck, there are Pachinko halls that you can visit all over the country. What are Pachinko halls? These are places where you can play the game Pachinko, which is a slot-machine-like game. While the winners of these games cannot win money when they get lots of tickets from their wins, they can choose items from the prizes being offered in exchange for their tickets that they can either trade for cash online or have others bid on.
Casino dealers always show their hands to security cameras when they leave the table – Did you notice this move being made by casino dealers in the casinos that you go to? Try to observe when there is a change in dealers on a casino table. Before the previous dealer leaves the table and the new dealer takes over, the often clap their hands as if dusting these off. They then face their palms up and palms down, then look at the nearest eye-in-the-sky before they leave their post. This is to show that they are leaving the table bringing nothing with them. They call this move “clearing hands” and this is a measure that helps ensure dealers aren’t tempted to take any of the chips on the table with them.
