There are players that think those of us who film our content always win. I aim to show all my play in my long-form videos (and even in my shorts, as with the current series Betting $1 million to Win $1 million). That means you can see I lose more than I win, like any other regular casino visitor.
This question is a good example around the thinking that I win more than I really do:
It’s been said that if a casino patron wins too much in one day, they will be asked to leave the casino. Is this a myth or fact? If this is true, how come the average Joe can play, win a few jackpots, then be asked to leave, yet a slot channel such as yourself can win 15 jackpots every single day, yet because they bring people into their casinos through their slot channels, you guys get an exception. Is that fair?
Christopher B.
First off, love your name. Are you gas lighting? Haha… Let’s start with the point that winning a jackpot handpay is not the same thing as winning overall. There are plenty of times I put thousands into a machine and then hit a baby jackpot. In that session I can still be down quite a bit.
This is no different than a $1 a spin player spending a couple hundred dollars and then winning $50 on a bonus – it’s certainly a nice bonus, but it doesn’t bring the player back to even.
So one thing you have to separate out of a question like this, is a win that’s part of the ups and downs of playing slots, versus a consistent winner over multiple casino visits. The latter is a different question altogether.
Generally speaking, none of us are going to win so much in a single visit that a casino is going to ask a player to leave. None of us, even me, are necessarily going to win enough to dramatically change the casino’s overall financial outlook.
But there are examples, say a Blackjack player who counts cards, who might get a consistent edge against the casino, enough so that they will wave a player off or ask them to leave.
Sportsbooks have also been in the news for their practice of limiting bets on certain players who show a consistency in making good sports bet picks.
And even in the case of slots, there are specific machine types out there that in the right circumstances can put a player who sits down in a scenario where they’re more likely to win.
Casinos have all sorts of information at their disposal, whether you use a players card or not, and will ask players to leave who are systematically trying to gain a consistent advantage. As a private business that’s their right.
But for most of us, who just go and play and submit all our wagers to the house edge that makes them money, a periodic win (or even a win over an entire year) isn’t going to sustain over the long term, and they’ll trust the long term expectation that they’ll make money over running off players who help their bottom line.
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yes if a casino tracks u thru ur card and sees u win more than u lose especially over time u can get 86’d for life by a petty casino. there is a true story behind this
Hi V – we covered this in the article: “So one thing you have to separate out of a question like this, is a win that’s part of the ups and downs of playing slots, versus a consistent winner over multiple casino visits. The latter is a different question altogether.” So rest assured we acknowledge the difference between a lucky visit and someone who has found a way to consistently beat the house.
The Blackjack Forums are filled with people who are always saying how they keep getting backed off and even if you’re lucky enough to win sometimes they will ask you to leave. Let me just say that I have been playing BJ for over 40 years and have not ever seen anyone asked to leave because they are winning. I have seen a few escorted out by security because they were cheating however! I only play at large casinos in AC and CT for the most part so I can’t speak for anywhere else. If these things do actually happen I suspect that a lot of it may be by supervisors or surveillance people trying to justify their existence. Sad to say that it seems that a lot of the pit crews really don’t know that much about the game they supervise! As for me, I don’t drastically increase my bets for the most part. I’m polite and respectful and I enjoy making bets for the dealers when I’m winning. Except for my wife, no one has ever demanded I leave! Basic strategy and I control my betting. Not trying to make a living.
We certainly know casinos will back off players who they believe to be card counting. Many pit bosses learn how to card count and watch for the telltale signs of it. Some casinos will be more aggressive on evicting those who they think are tipping odds in their favor than others. Our editor spent a lot of years in the same places you have, Harris, and similarly never saw someone asked to leave for that reason, but we have seen video examples of it at those casinos so we know it happens. (We also aren’t surprised that forums where more card counters are likely to be in the ranks are reporting being backed off by casinos.)
If you are mostly a steady bettor (or even a momentum one) you’re probably not getting on their radar, so it makes sense.