Does the House Always Win? Our Online Casino Has the Answer

Whether you gamble or not, we’re sure you’re heard the phrase…  The question is though, does the house always win, as in always – the house being an online casino or a land-based establishment?  Is there merit to this phrase, what does it mean, where does it come from, and is it categorically true?

Before we get into the finer details, the answer to the question ‘does the house always win’ is yes.  That is the very short answer though, and there are many variables and intricacies to factor in before one can mark that ‘yes’ as irrefutable.

Who and What is the ‘House’?

Whether it’s land-based or online, the ‘house’ is the casino – and by extension, the owners, operators, investors, business partners, etc., of that casino.  Where does the word ‘house’ come from in relation to a casino though?

The precise origin of gambling is contested and can’t quite be confirmed.  That said, the first gambling establishment that would be defined a casino by modern day standards was in Venice, Italy.  This venue, the Ridotto, was established by The Great Council of Venice, and was therefore a government establishment.

This is where the word casino most likely found its literal root and origin in terms of etymology.  ‘Casa’ means ‘house’ in Italian.  The word casino has quite a broad meaning in Italian though, as it can include everything from a villa to a social club or any other place where fun activities are offered, to mention a few.

The term casino has a rich and interesting history, which you’re welcome to explore yourself on Wikipedia!  For the purpose of ‘house’ – and how it correlates to our online casino, you now know where the word casino comes from, and that it draws its origin from the word casa.

The House Advantage at the Online Casino

You also now know that house means casino and the two words can be used interchangeably.  To understand whether the house always wins, the origin of the word online casino is not as important as the house’s advantage.

The house advantage or house edge is a mathematical edge based on the long-term probability that the online casino will retain more bets than what it pays out in winnings.  This is the case at land-based and at any online casino.  In fact, anything you could possibly gamble on will have an edge, or odds...

Now, you’ll often hear the words return to player (RTP) or the odds when it comes to the probability of winning specific games or placing certain bets.  How do odds and RTP form part of the house edge?  All online casino games have rules... and these rules can either be for or against you, the player.

Let’s use blackjack as an example.  It is known to be the game with the lowest house edge – typically 1% or even much less.  Throw in a blackjack side bet like insurance, or a rule such as the dealer hitting on soft 17, and that edge increases.

The House is a Business, After All

Why would an online casino have games that have rules that are not in the players’ favour?  Any business needs to put strategies in place to protect their bottom line.  There are overheads to cover – even as a seemingly solely virtual operation.

To continue to offer our patrons the best online casino support services, sleek, smooth, and up to date software – and new games that roll out like clockwork, we need cash too.  From our dev and superb customer support team to our content creators and the masterminds who come up with new ways to incentivise you, they can’t do so for mahala!

That’s to name but some of the wheels that we at Springbok Casino need to grease to keep our casino running like a well-oiled machine.  So, how does an online casino make money?  We’re certainly not going to simply take the money that our players deposit!  Nope, instead, our games have rules…

How to Beat the Edge

We’ve already told you that all online casino games have rules – that these rules are inherent in the game, and that they affect the RTP and odds.  Furthermore, a Random Number Generator (RNG) determines the outcome of a spin on slots, where the ball lands in roulette, what cards are drawn in video poker, etc. – neither us nor you can control this part.  It’s like trying to predict life, love or the weather!

Now, online slots, bingo, keno, and scratch cards are just some of the games that require pure luck to win.  Each gaming category – and the games within the categories themselves – have a different payback percentage.  This is a theoretical and statical percentage that predicts how often a game will pay out winnings over the long run.  For online slots, as an example, it’s in the region of 95%.

The saying ‘the house always wins’ largely comes from players who are on a losing streak, but keep chasing wins, only to deplete their bankroll further.  Fact is, there are ways to mitigate losses – whether you are playing games of fortune, or strategic games where you can directly influence the outcome.

How to Mitigate Losses and Beat the House More Often

It honestly isn’t all that hard.  Firstly, the trick is to not chase a win.  If you do, you can bet on the house winning over the long run.  If you’re on a hot streak, enjoy it and make the most of it – this is particularly true on games of fortune.  The moment that fortune starts to take a turn for the worse, call it a day.

The other way to gain a more concrete advantage over the house is to play games where your input has an actual impact on the result.  These would be games where proven strategies can be applied to your playing, such as poker!  You’d need to know your stuff to outsmart the house in the long run though – so study hard.

We answered the question ‘does the house always win’ previously with a short ‘yes’ – but as you can see, it is not that cut and dry.  You can still turn that ‘yes’ into a ‘no’!  It is entirely up to the games you choose to play, and your gambling habits.

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You read right.  Another way to offset the house always winning is to make full use of casino bonuses, and at Springbok Online Casino, we have plenty!  This starts off with our 250 FREE no deposit bonus that you can claim from the cashier after registering.  Go on, sign up today!