10 most common myths

Gambling myths

Sometimes people hold beliefs about gambling that are not true. Some common myths, include:

• The odds of winning be manipulated by varying bet sizes
• Hot (or cold) coins will produce winning results
• If you continue to gamble, you will win back what you have lost
• Gambling is a solution to financial problems
• Playing faster/slower (on the pokies) increases the chances of winning
  
• My turn will come eventually
• The more I gamble the more I win
  
• That horse is due
• Someone touching my shoulder is bad luck
  

The real facts

• Pokies are programmed so that in the end the machine will win. Nothing you do changes that
• Pokies are not designed to provide you with extra income. They are designed to make profit for others
• Like other forms of entertainment, you have to pay to play the pokies
• The more you play the more you pay
• Each poker machines computer program is designed to act randomly each time you press the button
• The outcome is independent of the previous plays
• You can never predict how each play will end. Factors like when the machine last paid out, how much you bet or how many lines you bet, how long you have been playing, the time of day or past and future plays do not affect the outcome.

All is at first sight logical, but nevertheless we continue to trust any signs and stereotypes. Only professionals can be prudent and cold. In what a secret? Experience or the trained mentality?