Gambling is a fun, engaging, and challenging world. There is much to learn about casino games, their rules, strategies, and even casino superstitions. These last are not something you necessarily search for learning, but they always arrive once you interact with other gamblers. And the thing is that many people truly believe in the power of superstitions. So it is not rare that being skeptical, you hesitate and wonder, at least once, “Are they gambling superstitions or the keys to success?”
You can’t escape superstitions even while playing in online casinos, rather than in person. Sooner or later, you will join an online gambling forum or community to get more involved. You will ask for strategies to win or technical questions; then, at least a few answers will be related to superstitions. So, don’t get surprised or angry if the answer to your “how to hit a massive jackpot?” is “don’t get a shower for a week,” “wear yellow underwear,” or “gamble with the umbilical cord of your first living child in the pocket.” That is weird, right? Welcome to the gambling superstitions!
The catastrophic number 13
Mathematics, skills, and luck are involved in many gambling games we love. Sometimes, we can use skills and math to strategize and have more winning chances. But games like roulette and slot machines are about chance. In these cases, many players think the only resource is to invoke good luck and avoid bad luck at any cost!
Different cultures have considered the number 13 unlucky and even catastrophic. Some people link it with some well-known and unpleasant guests. In Norse mythology, a dinner party with twelve gods was disrupted when Loki, the God of mischief, arrived as the 13th guest, causing chaos and upsetting the balance. Similarly, the Bible describes the Last Supper as an event of 13 attendees, with Judas Iscariot arriving as the 13th guest and later betraying Jesus.
The conclusion of the Mayan calendar’s 13th Baktun was superstitiously believed to signal apocalyptic events in 2012. The ancient Code of Hammurabi seemingly skipped the 13th law in its list of rules. Although historians have since determined this was simply a clerical error during the initial reading of the document, the negative association with the number 13 persists in people’s minds.
But watch out! There are glitches in the superstitious matrix that people should consider, but they don’t. In Italy -and perhaps more places- the number 13 is a lucky one, commonly associated with life, lunar cycles, prosperity, and fertility. It all depends on culture.
However, no logical explanation has removed from many gamblers’ minds worldwide that they must avoid it to prevent misfortune and a catastrophic loss while betting. Even many high-rise hotels and casinos have skipped the number from their rooms and floors to not upset their superstitious clients. It is one of the strongest casino superstitions!
The almighty number 7, one of the lucky gambling superstitions
The coin has two sides. Gamblers fear the unlucky 13 number but love the almighty 7. Again, culture has influenced this meaning. Christianity says God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, making it a day of completion and holiness. Islamic cosmology considers the existence of seven heavens, and during the Hajj pilgrimage, Muslims walk around the Kaaba in Mecca seven times. Judaism observes the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week.
In Chinese culture, the seventh day of the first lunar month is considered the day of humanity’s creation. In Japanese culture, the festival of Tanabata, celebrating the meeting of two deities, falls on the seventh day of the seventh month.
Historically, seven planets were visible to the naked eye (the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). It influenced many ancient belief systems and mythologies, attributing mystical properties to this number.
The ancient Greeks, particularly the Pythagoreans, considered seven to be a perfect number due to its combination of the spiritual (three) and the material (four). Besides, there are seven days in a week, seven seas, seven continents, and seven colors in a rainbow. Do you really need more to believe in the powerful luck of number seven? It is present in pretty much every slot machine’s paylines on Earth! Gamblers pack casinos on the seventh day of the seventh month when the year includes seven (2007, 2017, 2027, etc.).
Shortly, casino superstitions dictate that the number seven brings you luck and fortune. Are you going to bet based on it? I mean, just in case.
Blowing on dice
You have seen this gambling superstition in many movies, casinos, and at home when you invite friends to play.
Blowing on dice as a lucky charm can be linked to an ancient belief in imbuing objects with personal luck or spirit. By blowing on the dice, players might feel they are transferring their positive energy or “luck” into the dice.
Different cultures consider the breath a powerful force, capable of influencing outcomes or dispelling negative energies. Others performed this action as a way to ward off bad spirits or misfortune.
There’s also a practical aspect to this casino superstition. In the days when craftsmen were making dice of materials like bone or wood, blowing on them could remove dust or other impurities, ensuring a fair roll and avoiding suspicion of tampering.
Today, blowing on dice is still a familiar gambler ritual to invoke good luck. Some psychologists explain such gambling superstitions as actions to reduce anxiety and increase confidence. Doing it creates a sense of control in the unpredictable world of gambling. Different players’ constant repetition of this action has reinforced the belief in its efficacy, even if the outcome is random. Do you blow on dice before rolling them? Honestly, I have done it sometimes. If my rival does it, I don’t want to be disadvantaged!
Crossing fingers
One theory suggests that crossing fingers dates back to early Christianity when the sign of the cross became a symbol of unity and hope. Crossing fingers was a secret way to recognize fellow Christians and seek divine protection during times of persecution.
Another theory ties the gesture to ancient European paganism. Crossing fingers was thought to be a way of making a wish or a pact with another person, symbolizing the intersection of powerful forces. The crossing of fingers represented the union of spirits or the capture of good spirits to ensure wishes come true.
In medieval times, people believed in the power of benign spirits and lucky charms. Crossing fingers was a way to trap good spirits and seek their assistance. It became a common gesture for warding off evil and bringing good luck.
Many gamblers use the gesture when placing a bet and during the game to “ensure” a positive outcome. Gambling superstitions like this have ancient origins and a lack of scientific basis, but they are very alive among gambling enthusiasts. Seeing others using the gesture and if someone wins after doing it strengthens the belief, rather than deleting it.
Wearing “lucky” red
Many casino players wear red clothes to attract good luck to win. This gambling superstition originated in China, where the red color symbolizes luck, happiness, power, wealth, joy, love, prosperity, and much more.
An ancient and famous legend describes the Nian, a mythical beast that terrorized villages, especially during the Chinese New Year. The Nian was afraid of bright lights, loud noises, and the red color. Villagers discovered that hanging red lanterns and scrolls and setting off firecrackers scared the Nian away. This popular story has deeply associated red with protection and good fortune.
Red is omnipresent during Chinese festivals, significant milestones, weddings, New Year celebrations, etc. Red envelopes (hongbao) filled with money are given as gifts, and red lanterns and decorations are used extensively to invite good luck and ward off evil spirits. Brides often wear red dresses to ensure a happy marriage and fertility.
People also associate red with yang (positive energy), which brings positive outcomes and balances the yin (negative energy).
The belief in the red color power has reached casino enthusiasts worldwide. We don’t have solid statistics to prove its efficiency. But we all want luck playing by our side. If we get that by only wearing a red suit, dress, or shirt, why not try? It does not hurt!
Possessing lucky charms
In many ancient cultures, animism—the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence—led people to ascribe protective and lucky qualities to certain items. Historically, different cultures used rituals and charms in various forms of magic and religious practices to influence outcomes.
As societies evolved, these beliefs were passed down through generations. Different cultures developed their own sets of symbols and objects believed to bring luck. People have transferred this to activities involving chance, such as online gambling.
In some games, our skills or strategies can influence the outcome, but not ensure it definitely in our favor. Other fun games’ results are determined totally by chance. This uncertainty and what is at stake while gambling naturally leads players to seek ways to feel they are in control over the unpredictable, although they are not.
Psychologists explain that wearing or having lucky charms reduces anxiety and boosts gamblers’ confidence, leading to a more relaxed state of mind potentially improving decision-making and performance. From all casino superstitions, the use of lucky charms while gambling is an endless realm. The variety of objects gamblers consider lucky is enormous. From rabbits’ feet attached to keychains or carried in their pockets, four-leaf clovers carried in wallets or worn as jewelry, horseshoes set with the ends pointing upwards to hold the good fortune, an alligator tooth, lucky numbers stamped or carved on objects, certain gemstones and crystals (amethyst, jade, tiger’s eye, etc.), miniature or specific lucky dice, lucky coins, ladybugs, scarabs, and elephant images or charms.
Lucky charms can be whatever people associate with good luck, fortune, success, protection, life, opportunity, etc. Many gamblers play while having their children pics or their umbilical cords in the pocket, a medal or bracelet given by a loved one -dead or alive-, a t-shirt or underwear they wore during a previous winning streak. Sometimes those garments are unwashed because the belief is you don’t want to wash away the last good luck. Next time someone calls you smelly at a casino or your home while gambling online, just ignore it and don’t share your smelly, but good luck with them!
Once, I was in Mexico City and celebrated the New Year with some friends in a casino. They said it was a lucky day to play and a way to invoke prosperity for the upcoming year. That is common in many countries. In addition, they recommended something very specific to attract the fortune: wearing yellow underwear. Not my favorite underwear color, but they believe that it attracts wealth, red underwear attracts love, and white, good health. I have never heard that before, but I always follow the locals’ advice! Gambling superstitions or the keys to success? What do you think?
Bird droppings are a lucky sign to gamble!
It belongs to the unpleasant casino superstitions category. For long, people have considered that the birds are messengers of the gods or symbols of good fortune in many cultures. People associated their ability to fly and their presence in the skies with higher powers and omens.
A creature to hit you with bird droppings is a rare and random event. In many superstitious beliefs, such rare occurrences or unexpected events are often seen as signs from the universe or divine interventions. Honestly, the idea that something as seemingly unpleasant as bird droppings could bring good luck might have developed as a way to find humor and positivity in an otherwise annoying situation.
Following this belief, who wouldn’t take advantage of a sign of fortune – or an excuse – to play casino games? When bird droppings fall on gamblers, the gamblers don’t get pissed off anymore; they rather hurry to the casino or casino app right after being hit by bird’s shit, seeing it as an auspicious moment. Gamblers are optimistic people!
Conclusion about the gambling superstitions
What do you think after reading the previous examples? Gambling superstitions or the keys to success?
Casino superstitions have an ancient origin and lack of scientific basis, but they are strong beliefs that people keep alive. We have a tendency to find meaning in random events. If we experience success after a week without a shower (to keep good luck on us), the positive association with the action will grow, becoming a prophecy. We will adopt the action as an essential ritual to succeed, and no power on Earth will change our minds!
Casino superstitions add some theatrics to the game. Players’ rituals, lucky charms, or clothes increase the drama of every game decision and outcome. For the spectators, this can be exciting, too. Beyond logic and rationality, believing in those superstitions makes some gamblers feel more hopeful and positive. They seem to need that to reach the optimistic mindset to enjoy more gambling and potentially improve their performance and experience. Besides, sharing such stories and superstitions creates a sense of community and camaraderie among them. That generates a pleasant atmosphere around the gambling activity. That is pretty fine! Gambling must be primarily entertainment and fun!
There are many more casino superstitions and rituals out there. We reviewed the seven more popular to honor the almighty seven, but share yours with us!
If you liked this article, you can check these slot machine myths or the slot machine secrets, casinos keep away from you.