Casino Facts
Casino facts are here, ready for you. Think you know everything there is to know about casinos and gambling in general? We thought we did. And then we came across these weird and wonderful facts that made us rethink a few things. Take a look and see how many you know. And how many could score you points on trivia night!
There’s a prison with a casino for inmates
Or at least there used to be. and of course it was in Nevada too. Back in the day, not even the Nevada State Prison was immune to the lure of gambling. Which is why it had its own in-house casino for 35 years! Called the ‘Bullpen’. The casino allowed inmates to place bets on games like Craps, Blackjack and Poker, and even on various sports events as well. The fun and games took place from 1932 to 1967 until a new warden eventually closed the casino for good. We don’t know if we’re super keen on going to prison ever. But a few hands of cards might have made the time pass a little faster. Talk about crazy casino facts.
Slots jackpots strike the same World War II vet twice
It’s hard enough winning one slots jackpot. Winning two is a feat of luck most people could only ever dream of. Not World War II veteran Elmer Sherman though. This Las Vegas resident spun the reels on the slots at the Mirage in 1989. And walked away with a cool $4.6 million in cash! While that would be enough for many slots players, Sherman wasn’t done yet. Instead he fixated on a goal and made it his life’s mission to win a second jackpot. Which he eventually did 16 years later in 2005. Winning an unbelievable $21.1 million at the Cannery. Talk about lightning striking twice!
Megabucks pays out an incredible $39.7 million
If you were asked to name the amount of the biggest slots jackpot ever won, what would you say? Maybe $5 million? $6 million? Not sure? In fact believe it or not. The record for the biggest slots jackpot ever won to date stands at an absolutely massive $39.7 million. And all for the price of a bet worth $100! Placed by an anonymous software engineer on the Megabucks slot at Excalibur Casino. The $100 soon spun into a stratospheric $39.7 million. A feat that took place in 2007 and has yet to be beaten. Will you be the one to break the record and win even more? Vegas is waiting for you! This is casino facts.
Online slot sets a €17.8 million record
So the record for a land-based slots jackpot is $39.7 million, but what about online slots? Well, they haven’t been able to reach the heights of the Megabucks payout just yet. But they’re still setting records virtually. With the highest recorded online slots jackpot currently standing at an amazing €17,861,800. Definitely not something to turn your nose up at! Won in 2013 by a Finnish player on the Mega Fortune slot, the record still stands. So if you feel like getting your name into the record books, you know what to do. Log on to your online casino, place your bets, and cross your fingers that Lady Luck is looking out for you!
And you’ve won… chewing gum?!
If fate isn’t on your side when you’re playing the slots, don’t worry. Back in the early 1880s people didn’t actually win money from slot machines. They won fruit-flavoured gum instead! That’s why classic slots still have pictures of fruit on the reels. In case you were wondering. Although it wasn’t all about chewing gum. Some slot machines dispensed tokens too. Which could then be exchanged for drinks and cigars. Until 1888 when slot machines finally started paying out coins to winners. And the landscape of slots gambling was changed forever! We like the chewing gum too though. Perhaps they could bring it back as a participation prize instead? Something to think about…
Penny slot machines are the real money-makers
Think penny slot machines are small change? Think again! In fact they’re actually one of the biggest money-makers in any casino. And all thanks to the recession in the early 2000s. With only a penny needed to get the reels rolling, they’re looked at as a low risk game. Which is why they’re so attractive to players. Particularly those who need to watch their bankrolls at all times. Of course, while the minimum bet is a penny. Many players wager far more. Which is where the profitability comes in. But if you need to manage your money responsibly. Penny slot machines are most definitely a safe bet. Don’t write them off just yet!
The longest Poker game in the world lasted EIGHT YEARS!
We guarantee that no matter how long you’ve played a game of Poker for, there’s no way you’ll beat this record. That’s because the longest Poker game ever known lasted a total of eight years, five months, and three days! Literally, who has got the time??
Played at the Bird Cage Theatre in Arizona in 1881, the marathon event ran for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With short breaks only for sleep and comfort. It’s estimated that approximately $10 million changed hands in that time. With a tidy 10% going to the casino. We’re not sure who won. But wow did they deserve it after that. Kind of puts our modern-day tournaments to shame a little, doesn’t it?
The longest round of Poker lasted 90 hours
We’d have never considered Poker to be an endurance sport before. But our opinion of the game is swiftly changing. Sure the longest Poker game is said to have lasted eight years. But what about the longest round? That particular title belongs to World Poker Tour winner and WSOP bracelet-holder Phil Laak. Who once spent 90 consecutive hours at the Poker table. Excluding comfort breaks. His unbelievable stamina earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Where his feat still waits to be surpassed. And the $6,766 profit he made? He donated it to charity. What a guy! And great casino facts.
The most commonly played number in Roulette is…
We won’t tell you yet, have a guess first. What random single number would you play in the hopes of a 35:1 payout? Maybe 11? 24? 36? In fact, the most commonly played number in Roulette happens to be 17! Why? Perhaps because it sits squarely in the middle of the betting table. Or because it’s an odd number, or it’s a prime number… who knows?
Interestingly enough, according to research done by MIT, 17 happens to be the most random number. As apparently when people try to pick a random number. 17 is the one they go for most often. So now that’s something you know. Also just to let you know, as Roulette is completely fair and random. There’s no added advantage to choosing 17 at all. But if it makes you feel good about your bet, then go for it.
You can get yourself banned from a casino
We don’t mean by starting a fight or cheating or not paying your bill. We mean by voluntarily excluding yourself. (Also we absolutely would NOT recommend displaying any of those behaviours in a casino, or anywhere else for that matter.) Reserved for players looking to control their gambling. Voluntary exclusion allows you to ban yourself from a casino for a year, five years, or even life. Although think long and hard about the lifetime ban. As once you instate it, there’s absolutely no going back.
It’s the same with online casinos as well. If you feel that your gambling behaviour is becoming problematic, you can also choose to self-exclude either temporarily. Or permanently. Depending on your goal. Some people may feel that self-exclusion is a little drastic. We think that it’s a great way to manage your behaviour and make healthier choices. Good for you!
Las Vegas issued its first casino license to a woman
It turns out gambling isn’t exclusively a man’s world. In fact the first ever legal casino license in Las Vegas was issued to a woman. In 1920, wife and mother Mayme Stocker opened a casino under her own name and offered legal play on five games. Namely Stud, Lowball and Draw Poker, bridge and 500. Go girl power!
The gambling capital of the world is…
Not Las Vegas, funnily enough, although you’d be forgiven for thinking so. Considering the enduring popularity of the Strip. In fact, the title of gambling capital of the world goes to the Chinese territory of Macau. A city that in 2020 boasted 41 casinos and an incredible $7.61 billion in revenue. With most of that coming from the huge bets placed on table games by VIPs and high rollers. It’s clear that Macau is where the money is. If that’s a bit rich for your blood though, stick to the penny slots in Las Vegas. It’s all about the bankroll!
So many casinos, so little time
How many casinos do you think you could visit in 24 hours? If you have the time and the money, it might be worth trying out sometime. You’d have to be pretty committed to beat the Guinness World Record though. Which stands at 69! Yes that’s right! For 24 hours, father and son casino-hoppers Jack and Jeremy Freeman visited 69 casinos in 24 hours to play a game of blackjack in each one. While this amazing 2007 feat was repeated 8 years later in 2015 by Kimo Ah Yun and Gary Meyer. It’s still to be beaten. Maybe you could be the one to make it 70 casinos in 24 hours? Wouldn’t that be a record worth celebrating!
The world’s first sandwich was invented in a casino
Ok maybe not technically. But as the story goes, in 1765 the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, was enjoying himself so much at the tables that he didn’t want to get up to eat. So he instructed his servants to bring him some meat between sliced bread instead. And thus the modern sandwich was born. While this used to be the accepted origin of the sandwich as we know it. Today it’s thought that people were already eating bread and fillings before this event. John Montagu just gave a name to it. Whatever the actual truth behind the legend, sandwiches are delicious, and that’s casino facts!
It’s a rich man’s world
When it comes to playing cards that is – or at least it was up until the 16th century. Believe it or not, card playing was previously a pastime enjoyed by only the very rich. Which makes sense when you consider the fact that playing cards were crafted by hand and painted by master artists. With cards being so valuable. One nobleman even went so far as to purchase an entire palace to house and protect his set. Which we see as being just a little extra. But hey, if you’ve got the money then why not. Thankfully today a set of cards isn’t anywhere near as pricy. Which is why games like Blackjack and Poker are readily accessible. Which is good because we can barely afford to buy a house to live in right now. Let alone one just for a deck of cards. Hello casino facts.
It’s all just so dramatic
We get it – gambling is a pastime of highs and lows. So it makes sense that emotions would follow a similar up and down pattern depending on how a streak is going. But some people really take the drama to the next level. Like Kien Nguyen, who stabbed a Roulette croupier in the chest in 2018, and punctured his liver.
Then you have someone like Clifton Jeanpierre III. Who actually jumped over a table at the Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in an attempt to physically attack his dealer. Thankfully security intervened before the incident escalated, and Jeanpierre was escorted from the building. Only to verbally attack and threaten a police officer on the way to the station. No matter how down on your luck you are. Violence is never the answer. At the end of the day, playing at casinos is all about having fun. If you find yourself getting thrown in the slammer at the end of the evening, you’re doing it wrong.
The casino is a crazy place, but boy do we love it. We hope you’ve had fun with our facts, and maybe learned a thing or two at the same time. Enjoy your next visit to the casino – we know we will!