Is gambling really all about luck? How can you improve your chances? What is the best way to avoid big losses? And are there really any secret casino tricks?
We have summarized the 14 best secret casino tricks for you. Even with this knowledge, we can’t guarantee you a win. But the more you know about slots, strategies, bonus offers and slot machines, the more likely you are to win. And if you play in a controlled manner, you will also avoid big losses. Even more important, of course, is the fun of playing. And that comes with our advice absolutely not too short.
In addition, many casinos offer lots of bonuses in the form of free spins and free bonus credits. Those who proceed correctly here will indeed get a huge advantage and not only proverbially have better cards than the bank. If you don’t want to waste a lot of time, you can find all the recommended and reputable casinos here, which give you real credit and free spins just for signing up, completely without a deposit.
Of course, there are also some – but illegal tricks and procedures that are mainly used by the Russian casino mafia. We will clarify how this works in detail below. But don’t rejoice too soon, because 99% of the time you will simply lack the technical equipment.
For the rest, we wish you a lot of fun and success with the 14 best secret casino tricks.
Table of Contents
Casino trick #1: Say goodbye to trick books and “secret casino tricks”.
Some people believe almost everything that is written somewhere on the Internet. For years, for example, secret trick books were advertised, especially for Merkur and Novomatic games. Those who fell for these scammers were sent a meager PDF document containing all sorts of nonsense after transferring €20 to €100. At the latest then it became clear to the buyers of the supposedly unbeatable trick books that they had been ripped off.
2 Euro-Trick?
This is also the case with the alleged 2 Euro trick for slot machines, which we have analyzed in detail here. Clever minds have simply invented a fairy tale trick with which they can rake in a bit of dough themselves.
Feeding the machine and seeing if it’s in a giving mood just doesn’t work. With every spin, the randomness is completely reset to zero. There is no such thing as winning series or losing cycles, only random sequences.
Many decades ago, it may have been possible to manipulate slot machines with magnets, for example. It is also not impossible to alter the circuit boards of slot machines so that the machine changes its payout odds and algorithms. The difference to a robbery of a casino is then not far. But nobody wants to become a criminal, we want to win legally.
Last but not least, there was also the possibility of analyzing the boards of slot machines, and thus predicting the outcome of the next spin. In this way, the Russian casino mafia has relieved dozens of large casinos of millions. However, this loophole is now closed as well. How the scam worked in detail, you can read below.
Choose a reputable casino
Nothing is more important than choosing your casino. Whoever gambles in the arcade or gambling house has already lost. Since on the one hand taxes and duties are much higher than for online casinos, but on the other hand also the expenses (for example, for rent, staff, licenses, electricity, gaming equipment), the payout ratios are only a fraction of what you can win on the Internet.
Online casinos are a dime a dozen. To help you keep track of where you should play, we have summarized all the recommended casinos for players from Germany here. Unfortunately, there are a lot of black sheep on the market. If you follow our advice, however, you should be on the safe side and be able to gamble in a relaxed manner.
No false information when opening an account
No casino will pay you any winnings if you open an account with a false date of birth, name or address. Never use payment methods that are not in your name. And never use corporate accounts (applies to both bank account and Paypal) for transactions. Also important: do not have multiple accounts. If you have more than one account with a casino, you risk losing all your winnings if you win. Usually, casinos only check whether such a case exists for larger payouts of €2,000 or more.
If you are not sure whether you already have an account with the casino, it is best to contact customer service in advance via live chat or email and have them confirm that you can play there without any problem. After all, it’s your money at stake!
Think carefully about which slot you want to play
You have the choice. Depending on the casino, you can choose between many games. Some like Videoslots offer you over 2000 different casino games. There you can sometimes lose the overview.
But when choosing your slot machine, it’s not just about the atmosphere, graphics and sound (which should also appeal to you, of course). Many slot machines are very similar, but have different payout ratios. For example, did you know that Book of Ra Classic statistically pays out 3% less than the Deluxe version? Or that the very similar slot Book of Dead pays out significantly more? On our site you will find a lot of information about slots that pay really well or badly.
Treat yourself to a few rounds in free play mode
A big advantage online is that you can try out almost all games for free. So why not let the reels spin just for fun before you invest your hard-earned money? You also get an insight into the game mechanics and can better eastimate the frequency of bonus and free spins features. Also, keep your eyes open for so-called “fast wins”. Often, only one symbol is missing on the payline, and you would have taken home a fat win.
However, it is exactly these fast wins that are dangerous. Because no matter how close the result may look: A fast win is not a win, but a loss! Many slot machines manipulate our perception in this way. After a few near-wins, you assume far too easily that you’ll land a hit with the next spin.
Match your bets to your balance
Your bets must be in proportion to the money you are willing to spend. For example, if you have deposited 20 €, you should play with a maximum of 20 cents to 40 cents. In this context, the so-called volatility of the slot machine is also important. Slots like Starburst, for example, are less volatile. This means that you win more often. However, the winnings themselves are smaller. Therefore, you can play slightly higher stakes on these slots
Slots with a high volatility, such as Gonzo’s Quest or Jack and the Beanstalk (also from NetEnt), you will have more spins without a win. Also, the free spins come significantly less often. When you finally land a good spin, it really rings in the cash register. Up to a thousand times the bet is not uncommon with highly volatile slot machines.
Forget secret casino tricks, play with strategy
There are dozens of strategies and tactics for casino players. However, most of them can only be applied to table games like blackjack or roulette. In our “Knowledge” section, we have summarized everything you need to know on this topic, from anti-martingale to Whittaker strategy. You will also find a strategy that can also be implemented for slot players, which on the one hand takes your balance into account, but on the other hand can also ensure maximum winnings.
Use casino bonus for better chances
This not-really-secret casino trick works always and everywhere: since online casinos are in fierce competition, new customers are given free starting credits and free spins. But here, too, caution is advised. Some casinos tie these bonuses to partly unfair conditions. Long terms and conditions – sometimes completely in English – often hide unfavorable rules. Fortunately, you can find a list of all trustworthy providers here.
Understand the payout ratio/RTP of a machine and know the rules.
Video games nowadays are often released with lots of bugs that are fixed later. With a video slot, this is completely different. Every slot machine is put through its paces by various agencies. We are not aware of a single case where a slot machine has paid out incorrectly on the Internet. However, with hundreds of paylines, ever-changing free spins and bonus features, and lots of new extras, slot machines can be extremely confusing.
Every slot machine has what is called a paytable. Here you can see your possible winnings, find the theoretical payout ratio and explanations of all the extras. Invest a few moments to familiarize yourself with all the features.
Play the right jackpot slot
An extremely exciting part of the casino offer are the so-called jackpot slots. Whether Mega Moolah, Hall of Gods or Arabian Nights: With every spin, a small fraction of the bet is fed into the so-called progressive jackpot. Since all casinos are connected with each other, these slots can quickly reach double-digit million amounts.
Rule of thumb: Always play the slot with the highest jackpot. Always use real money credits, and never play with bonus credits. It would be stupid if the casino doesn’t pay you your million-dollar winnings.
However, there are slots that have different sized jackpots at different casinos. Good examples are Divine Fortune and Cosmic Fortune from NetEnt. Of course, you should compare in advance in which of the casinos you are registered in, the jackpot is best filled. The chance of winning the jackpot is the same everywhere.
Set limits
Maybe not a secret casino trick, but rather a golden rule is setting limits. You can win a lot of money online. But it is much more important that you do not take excessive risks. Therefore, set limits for the time you want to play daily or weekly. You can also limit your deposits, losses and turnover in any casino. If you do not follow this rule, you will not enjoy gambling in the long run.
Be patient and do not force your luck
Luck cannot be forced in the casino. If you have already lost too much, just stop. It is never good to try to win back lost money. Sometimes there are just days when you don’t have any luck in the casino. Live with it, log out and do something else. Casino is just a pastime, not an essential part of your life.
Don’t play with secret casino tricks, but with friends
Even in 2020, the best not-really-secret casino trick is playing together with friends. Why not invite some nice gambling enthusiasts and connect your computer/mobile phone to the TV? Together in a large group you can be twice as happy about winnings, while lost spins are much more relaxed to bear anyway according to the motto “shared sorrow is half sorrow”.
Besides the fun factor, playing with friends has another positive aspect: you automatically play more responsibly, don’t senselessly increase stakes etc. and stay within your financial limits.
Maybe this advice is not exactly secret casino tricks, but it works!
Gambling with guaranteed winnings – Russian casino mafia relieves casinos worldwide of millions
Hand on heart – who doesn’t love them, the robbery pistols with charming crooks? When Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Gerorge Clooney try to rob the biggest casino in Las Vegas of tens of millions in Ocean’s Eleven, we keep our fingers crossed for the thieves.
But movies like Ocean’s Eleven are pure fiction? Not at all, the casino mafia seems to play a bigger role in gambling than previously thought. Until now, the big fraud was suspected to be mainly in the field of cybercrime. This includes such things as money laundering, credit card fraud and identity theft. But our colleagues at wired have now tracked down a very big story.
In 2009, Vladimir Putin introduced a far-reaching ban on gambling in Russia. Many large casinos and casinos had to close. Some of the slot machines were disposed of, but most were sold. And this is where the million-dollar scam begins.
Random Number Generator
The heart of a one-armed bandit is the so-called RNG (Randon Number Generator). Complicated algorithms are designed to ensure that every outcome is random. Even if the casino takes in more in the long run than it pays out again to the player, huge winnings in relation to the stake are still possible. These random generators are sometimes better protected than the formula of Coca-Cola.
But after dozens of machines of different slots legally fell into the hands of the Russian gang, they set out to disclose the source code and the way the random generators work. This process, known as reverse engineering, was successful.
Pseudo Random Number Generator
Many video slots do not have an unpredictable random number generator, but one that is referred to as deterministic. The results, in the form of pseudo-random numbers, look and feel random to normal casino players. However, the outcomes are predictable. If you want to delve deeper into the matter, you can find more information here. Long story short, after collecting enough data, the Russians knew when a certain outcome would occur.
Straw men then filmed their gaming behavior at various slots around the world and sent it to St. Petersburg, the gang’s headquarters. The recorded gaming behavior, as well as the calculated behavior of the random number generators, now made it possible to send signals to players in the casino with vibrating alarms to time the perfect moment for a spin. In this way, a single fraudster could relieve a casino of up to 10,000 US dollars per day. According to initial estimates, the loot is at least in the tens of millions.
Who has actually been harmed by the casino mafia?
Affected casinos and manufacturers of games see themselves as the injured parties. But this impression is deceptive. With a cryptographically secure random number generator, slots would not be predictable. And this would be in the interest of all fair playing players. After all, the winnings that were illegally paid out to the mafia-like organized gangs should have gone to honest gamblers. Game manufacturers guarantee us a certain payout key.
If this decreases due to fraud by the casino mafia, the manufacturers must compensate for this loss. Unfortunately, this does not happen. Ultimately, we as players bear the losses of the casino industry. Losses that result from a breach of due diligence by the casinos.
These secret casino tricks have nothing to do with crook romance a la Ocean s Eleven.
This net pearl from Spiegel from 2004 shows that casino fraud can nevertheless also be charming.