Why Casinos Love a Winner

Casinos are shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Most of this is a result of the way casinos are portrayed in movies, television, and more. 

There seems to be a huge contingent that believes casinos abhor winners. Some might even think that a player who wins might face some nefarious backroom shenanigans.

But the truth is that real money casinos don’t care if you win or not.

In fact, casinos go out of their way to celebrate winners. On this page, we’ll tell you why the casinos love a winner.

The Casinos Are the Real Winners

Like we mentioned, casinos don’t care who wins. The games are designed in a manner to allow some players to go home winners.


In fact, some players win a life-changing sum of money in one fortunate spin of the reels.

Whether a player wins $2,500 playing baccarat or over $1 million on a massive progressive jackpot, the casinos are comfortably in the black at the end of the day.

You see, you’re not really winning the casino’s money. You’re winning the money other players have lost or are currently losing.


Most casino games have a house edge of around 5%. Some are higher, and some are lower, but we’ll use 5% for our purposes.

This house edge means that they’re keeping 5% of the money in play at any given time. You may think that 5% doesn’t sound like much, but consider how many gamblers have no idea what the house edge is or even basic strategy for most games.

At any given time, there could be millions in play on a casino floor. Now, extrapolate that out to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The casinos are in no danger of asking the government for a bailout. 

By milking the casino gambler’s money slowly, it keeps players engaged. You may even get on a winning streak, and when this happens, players get hooked.

Unfortunately, if you stay in the game long enough, it will slowly disappear before your eyes. 

So, because the casinos know that they have the math on their side, they are fine with the “lucky” few that walk out the door with winnings.

Winners Are a Casino’s Best Friend

There’s no single factor that keeps casino floors around the world full of winners.

It’s why people flock to the marvelous structures, to begin with, for the prospect of winning. 

Unless you’re of the cynical variety, you probably don’t announce to your co-workers that you’re going to lose some money at the casino over the weekend.

No, you boast about making the trip and the untold riches you hope to return with. That’s what makes casinos so magnificent, the prospect of leaving a winner.

The casinos understand that better than anyone. If casino gamblers didn’t have a shot, they wouldn’t step foot inside of a casino.


So, the casinos need the players to win—not just on a macro scale either.

Players feed off of the energy created when winning occurs. The excitement that is created spreads across the table over the entire casino floor.

Contrary to what you may think, this excitement translates into huge returns for the casino. Again, the more money that’s in play, the more the casino makes.

When players get overly excited, they start playing loosely and throwing even more money into the pot.

Winners drive the action in the casino in almost every way imaginable, and the casinos love the winners for it.

Winners Keep the Losers Coming Back

At some point, I think most of us have wondered why we keep coming back. After all, the ratio of winners to losers is incredibly lopsided.

I remember asking an old-timer what kept him gambling all those years without any significant wins. He told me that someone had to win; it might as well be him.

It was tough to digest, but I immediately understood what he meant. 

Casinos need winners to create the dream of big wins. This man had spent decades playing progressive slots with full knowledge of the money he was tossing away.

It was the dream of cashing in on a six-figure payday that kept him coming back almost daily for his shot at fame and fortune.

Look at the poker boom. Suddenly, millionaires were popping up all over. The reality of the situation was that only a tiny percentage of players would ever reach that kind of success through a ton of hard work.

It made it feel like anyone had a shot, and millionaires were being made every day. I actually had a friend quit his job to become a professional poker player.

He began playing poker online as well as playing in live cash games around the clock. He soon learned the harsh reality of gambling.

He found that he’d grow bored in the poker room and would join the gamblers laughing and drinking around the table games.

The thrill of winning money quickly drew him away from the slower poker game where it may take hours to accumulate a decent chip stack.

Then, he lost his entire poker bankroll at the roulette table over a rough three-day span. During the three days, he confided in me that he saw one player win over $15k and two others sneak over $10k.

Each of the first two nights, he’d retire to his room and talk himself into sticking to poker the next day. Then, as soon as he stepped foot on the floor, he was instantly drawn to the roulette table in an effort to get it all back.

Big Winners Become a Celebrity for the Day

Casinos love winners so much that huge winners become a bit famous for the day. If you hit a massive jackpot, you’ll be expected to meet with casino executives, and you’ll be presented a giant check like the ones presented at PGA Tour events.

Some members of the press may attend this photo op.

Huge winners are also lavished with casino comps or bonuses, and a dedicated player services team member.

Part of the onslaught is to ensure that you make said casino your go-to gambling spot. The casinos love customers flush with cash, and if you’ve just won a million on a $3 slot pull, you’ve got money to burn in their eyes.

Besides, it wouldn’t be an excellent business move to write a check and usher you out the door to lose the money down the street. The casinos want a shot at their money.

Secondly, there are few better ways to draw in new business than marketing all the huge winners. Potential gamblers see the giant 6-figure or higher checks and think it’s their time to shine.

The casinos know that winners keep the losers coming back again and again. They are also very familiar with how valuable word of mouth advertising can be for a casino.

Winners are far more likely to leave a glowing review of a casino than a loser. One review could influence as many as 10,000 potential customers resulting in millions of dollars for the casino.

Most Winners Are Welcome

Of course, not all winners are welcome in the casinos.

Casino cheats are dealt with swiftly and typically prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you’re caught cheating in a casino, expect a costly legal battle that will likely end with a prison sentence.

Obviously, cheats are going to be thrown straight out the doors.

What about card counters?

Card counting isn’t exactly cheating, and you can’t be prosecuted, but you can still be banned from the casino.

Card counting affects the bottom line for the casinos. If players were allowed to team up and attack the blackjack tables at will, they’d wipe out the casino’s profit on the game.

Casinos would be forced to remove the blackjack tables in favor of something more profitable. 

Be forewarned that if you’re willing to break the law or cross the line into card counting, when you get caught, those wins will be completely null and void.

Winners Are the Driving Force Behind the Entire Industry

Casinos love a winner because winners are the driving force of the industry. One day,

I was leaving a “really big” casino, and as I got to my truck, I saw a guy across from me slamming on his steering wheel repeatedly.


I felt for the man but couldn’t help but grin as I thought, “You won’t see that on any of their commercials.”

Perhaps it was completely unrelated to his casino gambling, but I doubt it. The fact is that the casinos don’t want us thinking about that side of gambling.

They want us to focus on the fun and excitement of gambling. Most importantly, they want us to focus on trying to win money.

Many people see the prospect of becoming rich as a way out of all their troubles. I don’t know where these ideas come from, but it can consume certain individuals.

However, I believe most casino gamblers are more than happy winning a couple of hundred dollars. It’s just enough to feel accomplished.


Luckily, these small wins are very attainable. When people win, it puts more butts in the casino seats.

Conclusion

These are only a few of the reasons why casinos love winners. Look around the next time you’re in a posh Vegas casino, and you’ll see plenty of visitors who are there because they knew someone who won.

From the elegant art and furniture to the stacks of cash sitting behind the cage, winners are largely responsible for creating the juggernaut that the casino industry has become.