Fun casino facts

While playing at online casinos seems all the rage these days, visiting a real casino is still one of those things many people interested in gambling wish to do. For some it's the event of the year, for others it's something they do maybe once a month. Playing with and against other people - even in the age of the internet - is still a very important aspect for many casino gamers. Mix this social aspect into the centuries-old pot of casino history, and you got yourself a recipe for many curiousities and even more legends. It is those legends, figures and events that we have collected and will list for you here. No special order is applied, mind you, this merely to entertain you whilst you might be taking a break from our many slot machines.

Fun facts about the world of casinos, entertainment and gambling

Whatever the type of gambling happening, and no matter if it's land-based casinos or online platforms, games like Blackjack, Poker or Roulette have fascinated and entertained millions - reason enough to compare habits, culture and records across the globe!

Fun Fact #1 - Las Vegas is still the city with the most casinos!

You ask anyone about casinos, slot machines, Blackjack or Roulette and they will inevitably name Las Vegas as one of the things that comes to mind. Too ingrained in popular culture, too renown a name to be ignored or left out. Matter of fact though, for a short while Las Vegas lost this title to the special administrative region of Macau for a few years but has since come back with a vengeance. With currently 51 operational casinos, compared to the latter 41, Las Vegas remains the city of casino gaming at large, with thousands of slots playable around the clock, hundreds of poker tables and other card games waiting for eager gamblers to compete around it. Make no mistake, other cities especially in south-east Asia are heavily investing into their casino- and entertainment scenes, with Macau for example having earned almost 37 billion US Dollars in 2019. Singapore's revenue from their two biggest casinos, for example, has never been less than 4 billion each year since their opening. Even the Phillipines have caught on and invested heavily into their "Entertainment City" with its more than 50 (!) casinos.

Fun Fact # 2 - the oldest casino is in Venice!

Originally built as a theatre, the Casino di Venezia sits right at the grand canal and opened its doors as a gambling establishment in 1638. With strong implications for the future of the city, for in 1744 there were no less than 120 casinos active in the city! After its days as a casino it served as a getaway for all kinds of famous artists and aristocrats until it was bought by the city of Venice in 1946 and re-opened as a proper casino in 1959. Today it serves hundreds of slots and hosts dozens of card game tournaments for all levels of play, even up hosting World Series of Poker events!

Fun Fact # 3 - the largest online slot machine win to date!

Reportedly, the largest ever win at an online slot was claimed by a Finnish player in 2013. Playing Mega Fortune, the lucky guy cashed in a massive 17.8 mio. Euros.

Fun Fact # 4 - the largest online slot win in the UK

Similarily, the largest payout recorded on an online slot played in the UK happened with Mega Moolah, coming in at £13.2 mio.  Absolutely nothing to sneeze at, while still a bit below the biggest sum paid out at an actual arcade slot machine. That payout clocked in at 39.7 mio. US in 2003. Coincidentally the winner was a software engineer from LA, who scored this mindblowing prize with a stake of just 100 Dollars at the time.

Fun Fact # 5 - you can ban yourself from any casino you want

In most US states for example it is entirely possible to ban yourself from a casino for life in order to withstand the temptation of gambling too much. In some states in particular attempting to re-enter the premises even statutes a criminal offense punishable by prison time. Similarly, every online casino of standing will allow you to block yourself from using any of their games via safer gambling measures - our online casino being no exception!

Fun Fact # 6 - gambling used to be forbidden in ancient Rome

Despite the Romans having all kinds of reputations, gambling was in fact forbidden. Both during the republican and the imperial era, gambling - mostly dice games - was only allowed on special holy days and celebrations. Too many tempers would flare up, too much violence would ensue. Didn't stop the emperors themselves from playing of course, with Claudius himself even writing a book about gaming and profitable strategies!

Fun Fact # 7 - Jackpot used to be a Poker term

Originating from gold rush times and its resulting wild vernacular and even wilder portmonteaux, "Jackpot" originally referred to be being able to actually win part of the card game's current pot that round, for which you needed at least a pair of Jack in your hands to be allowed to even come near it.

Fun Fact # 8 - the legend of Archie Karas

A greek boy coming to the US in the 1960s and the first thing he does? Look for the next best game of chance. This led to him gambling his way up to a million Dollar bankroll in Poker, only to lose it all one fateful night. But that night was enough for Archie Karas, who had not only tasted blood but smelled what the whole continent was cooking. Simply calling him a professional gambler doesn't do him justice, self-destructive force of nature would perhaps be a more fitting title. Ignoring his mind-boggling loss, the took his last cash with him to Las Vegas and went on a legendary spree which is just called "The Run" nowadays. Starting off with a loan of 10K, which he turned into 40 and returned 20 to his initial loaner, Archie made his way through Vegas by playing Poker, Pool and all kinds of Poker variants for never before seen stakes. The fact that he beat card game legends on his two-and-a-half-year long spree seems almost worthy of just a footnote, so long is the list of names. And as magnificently and seemingly impossible his run endured, as catastrophically would it end. Losing 11 mio. on dice games and another 18 mio. on Baccarat, he took his remaining 12 mio. and went for a trip back to Greece. Thinking he had replenished his mojo, he returned to Vegas a few months later, burning through almost the entirety of his money in a few months' time.

Fun Fact # 9 - slots are still not susceptible to magic

Whatever people may tell you, slots are not susceptible to ritual offerings, voodoo, desperate prayers, special tools or hacks. Especially the world of online slots is still being haunted by constant rumours of hacks, cheats and special tools which may be deployed to increase one's chances. Let us assure you, each and every slot game has to be checked, double-checked and triple-approved by independent parties to ensure constant win rates and payouts. Don't let anybody sell you miracle cures over the internet, especially not any gambling related ones!

Fun Fact # 10 - online slots pay out more than land-based machines

Hard to believe and definitely a blow to some - but online slots have higher, more consistent RTP (return-to-player) rates of 96 % on average. That's more than 10 % more than what most land-based slot machines pay out to their players. Add to that the fact that online slots are regularly checked and playable from basically anywhere, slot fans are simply treated better with quality online casinos!

Fun Fact # 11 - casino hopping is a thing

The official record for casino hopping - visiting as many different casinos as possible within a span of 24 hours - was achieved by a father-and-son duo in 2007. 69 casinos in one day, and a game of Blackjack played each time. Nice.  Their record was repeated in 2015, with no serious contenders since.