Nobody likes to be hoodwinked, not least in a game of chance with high-stakes. But how likely is it that your game of roulette is rigged? Here we look at how casino wheels can be rigged to cheat out players and how likely you are to come across this sort of foul play. In short, gambling with a licensed casino with the Gambling Commission almost guarantees the absence of fraud. This is because the act of rigging a casino is a criminal one punishable by a hefty fine and the removal of a license. If you choose to gamble in an unlicensed and illicit casino, then all bets, frankly, are off.
Rigging Roulette Wheels
Casinos have always been subject to scrutiny. From Al Capone’s famous (and elaborate) rigging of a roulette table in the 1920s, criminals look to push the odds even further in the house’s favour. Nowadays, roulette is more often rigged with magnets often imported from Russia or China. Such wheels are illegal and should not be found in licensed venues. They work through electromagnets under the table which work with a magnetised ball to prevent it ever landing on a desired number. When activated, the ball has the same magnetic polarity as the undesired spot, meaning that the ball won’t stop there. This prevents individuals winning large bets or achieving a substantial roll. Rest assured, however, that this kind of activity is very rare and almost unheard of in the contemporary world of regulated casinos. Although it is not easy to spot without physically dismantling the roulette wheel, even if a casino were to use a magnet, they are often reserved for big spenders in the high roller rooms. If you do suspect something and spot an oddly behaving ball, alert the gambling authorities. Bare in mind, however, that balls do sometimes act idiosyncratically within the laws of physics without any human intervention. Gambling devices are constructed to legal requirements. This means that automatic machines are randomised for fair results and more difficult to tamper with.
It is also worth remembering that all casino games technically provide an establishment with a mathematical edge over the client. This is not achieved by illegally rigging roulette wheels so that certain numbers come up more often or by magnetising balls to mislead and rip-off the player. They just offer bet payouts that have lower odds than those of winning.
Gambling Online
If you play roulette online, you may be wondering if online roulette systems or live dealer roulette can be rigged. Sadly, roulette online is overall more likely to be fixed than roulette offline. Some of the common ways of deceiving players online include the use of video footage of wheels rather than live or real-time feeds. Within this scenario, the wheel footage can be used by numerous online websites with different and deceiving results. This is disingenuous because it is entirely tampered with. These can all be reported and virtual casinos are subject to the same kind of laws as others provided they operate within the United Kingdom. As a result, British online gambling software is audited and safe to use. The problems with such casinos, however, is that those being disingenuous are rarely privy to British gambling laws and licenses because they operate outside of local jurisdiction. It is therefore always in your interest to be savvy of where and how an online casino operates. Of most concern to online gamblers is how quickly a casino pays it winnings out. The internet contains many more horror stories of players being under-payed, mis-payed or downright scammed out of money than it does of rigged or falsified roulette games.
Be Aware and Gamble Legally
If you are careful of where you gamble in the United Kingdom, you are far less likely to come across illicit tampering with roulette wheels. Gambling with fully licensed (and certainly not in revoked) casinos mitigates any potential wrongdoing. Besides, in truth, a casino is highly unlikely to use a roulette wheel affixed with magnets for normal play; it is just not worth their risk. If you do play online, then you should attend to the following online roulette tips: play on a licensed and well reviewed gambling website; choose a casino with quick and protected payout; and don’t fall for unbelievable odds from unknown websites. Always check where an online roulette casino is operating and under which jurisdiction/licenses they are subject to. Only play in reputable casinos and you are assured that you have some chance of profiting and that your money is safe – be aware and gamble legally.