Monthly Archives: February 2014

Which Games of Chance Cost People the Most Money?

dice

For most gamblers playing games of chance are not about securing a source of income, rather they enjoy risking a little of their money for the chance to achieve the dream of winning a life changing jackpot or top payouts at their favourite table game. The majority of people realize that winning life changing amounts are a long shot but still, the appeal of living the dream holds a strong attraction.

In order to minimize your losses when playing games of chance, you should avoid certain games because these can cost you far more than others do, and when the odds are stacked against you (as they are in gambling) you may as well give yourself a fighting chance.

Here we look at the games of chance that cost people the most money.

Casino Games

Not all casino games and bets are created equally, some are way more risky and expensive than others. Keno is one such game where the casino’s house edge can be as much as 29% which makes it a very expensive game to play and often costs players huge amounts of money when played at land based casinos. On the other hand though, playing Keno at online casinos is a better option due to the lower house edge of 5%.

Other games that you should approach with caution, whether online or at land based casinos are Wheel of Fortune, also known as Big Six where the house edge ranges from 11.11% to 24.07%. Bonus Six, a poker based card game with a house advantage of 10.42% to 23.83% and Sic Bo with a massive range of house edge ranging from 2.78% to 33.3% depending on the bets you place.

Even player friendly casino games have some bets that should be avoided because they have a larger house edge, for example the Baccarat Tie Bet (with a 14.3% house edge), the Craps “any seven” bet (16.67% house edge) and the Casino War tie bet (with a house edge of 18.65%) should all be avoided in order to avoid losing large amounts.

Non-Casino Games

People automatically think of casino games when we mention games of chance wherein people lose the most money but the game that costs people the most money over the long term is more easily accessible and socially acceptable than either land based or online casino games and that is the lottery. This game of chance has the highest house advantage of any form of gambling because a standard $1 scratch card or lotto ticket holds a whopping 50% house edge.

If you think about it, this is an absolutely horrific bet and if playing in a casino, very few people would ever consider making a bet where they would only have potential to receive half of their money back. Yet, week after week people continue to play the lottery because in spite of the terrible odds and high house advantage, the promise of life changing, massive jackpot amounts. Scratch cards also remain hugely popular because of the satisfaction they provide players who love scratching off the cover to find out if they win. So it all really comes down to the psychology of gambling that prevails rather than good old common sense.

Preferable Alternatives

If the thought of playing games with insane house edges sickens you but you would still like the opportunity to win big jackpots, then you could consider playing slots. A number of players have won multi-million jackpots in the face of 5% to 12% house edges (online slots offer lower house edges so playing at online casinos is even better).

If you’re a scratch card fan then rather play online scratch card games as these are considerably different with a mere 5% to 10% house edge as opposed to 50% in their land based counterparts. You still get to scratch a block to uncover a prize (granted you use a mouse pointer instead of a coin) BUT it is still very satisfying.

And if you want to play games with the lowest possible house advantages look out for poker, video poker and blackjack games instead as you can master proper strategies to help you increase your odds of winning.

In doing so you will maximize your long term wins and avoid losing your hard earned money.

Why do online casino bonuses and promotions exist?

Bonus Chip

With the online casino industry being so popular across the globe, you may wonder why online casinos need to offer players bonuses and promotions at all. After all, land based casinos don’t give away money to their patrons, so do their online counterparts really need to incentivise people who clearly already want to play? And if so…why? Is there some kind of catch for the player?

The answers to these questions are quite fascinating and require a look back in time to the inception and evolution of online casinos over the years.

In the early 2000’s only two online casino groups existed so there wasn’t much in the way of competition, yet the owner of the Golden Palace Group decided that it would be a good idea to differentiate the group from the competing English Harbour Group by offering players incentives to play at their online casino instead.

Of course the English Harbour group wasn’t going to take the new angle lying down and they countered with an offer of their own and so began a competitive tradition. Ever since, online casinos have offered players a welcome bonus of some kind or another.

The purpose of online casino bonuses is therefore to differentiate casinos from the pack and ensure that they remain attractive to players in a highly competitive market space. After all, the welcome bonus offer is often the first thing that attracts new players to a particular casino.

As the years have progressed, competition in the online casino industry has increased dramatically and casinos have realised that simply attracting new players is not enough, they also have to keep them loyal. Online casinos then introduced a variety of player incentives from loyalty programs, on-going bonus schemes and a variety of promotions to generous giveaways to keep players interested and playing.

Again these are more about distinguishing themselves from the crowd and keeping players playing at their casinos than anything else. So there is no catch for the player at all.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that not all bonuses and promotions are created equal, and it is essential that you read and understand all associated bonus and promotional terms and conditions so that you can correctly judge which offers are to your advantage and which to avoid.

Fortune Lounge Caribbean Cruise Promotion

Fortune Lounge Cruise

The Fortune Lounge Group has just announced the launch of its annual Cruise Promotion wherein 50 lucky players stand the opportunity to win double tickets for this luxurious 7 day cruise aboard the magnificent Oasis of the Seas Caribbean Cruise liner as well as prizes to the value of €1,000,000!

Instant prizes include everything from Ralph Lauren beach accessories like beach bags, sunglasses and beach towels to Louis Vuitton passport covers, iPad Air’s, Kindles, Canon Digital Cameras, Panasonic Camcorders and more.

Sound like a dream come true? Then make sure you visit casinos Platinum Play and Royal Vegas like enter in one of the many available ways to be in line to win.

Lucky Draws

Casinos in the Fortune Lounge Group will be hosting lucky draws that are open to all on weeks 1, 4, 9 and 12 of the promotional period. You will be eligible for a ticket into the lucky draw for every minimum promotional deposit you make. These lucky draws have double cruise tickets and €15,000 in prizes to give away.

Points Accumulators

Points Accumulator events will take place on weeks 2, 5, 7, 10, 13 and 15 of the promotional period and you can take part in these to boost your points as much as possible while standing in line to win double tickets on the cruise as well as €10,000 in prizes.

To stand in line to win with Accumulator points all you have to do is play your favourite casino games in order to earn as many Rewards points as possible. For every 1000 rewards points you earn you will receive one entry into the lucky draw.

Cruise Cards

Cruise Cards will be open to all in weeks 3, 6, 8, 11, 14 and 16 of the promotional period and offer a double ticket on the Fortune Lounge Cruise as well as €10,000 in prizes.

To be eligible for the Cruise Cards prizes all you have to do is play your favourite casino games and earn Rewards points. For every 100 Rewards points you get you will earn a stamp on your Cruise Card and once you have 10 Cruise Card stamps you will receive an entry into the week’s lucky draw.

VIP-only Leaderboard

As always, the Fortune Lounge Group takes special care of their VIP’s and those taking part in the promotion at participating online casinos will be invited to take part in the VIP-only Leaderboard which runs for eight 2 week periods throughout the promotion. This section of the promotion offers double tickets on the Fortune Lounge Cruise.

As you can see, being a highroller and achieving VIP status definitely pays and gives you more opportunities to win, so it’s definitely something to keep in mind and work towards when playing online.

The next 3 months are going to be packed with action and fun at Fortune Lounge Casinos, and with prizes like these up for grabs there’s never been a more exciting time to play. And if you’re lucky enough you could find yourself aboard the next Fortune Lounge Caribbean Cruise.