The Most Popular Gambling Superstitions

Are you having lousy luck when gambling? This article will cover different superstitions and popular beliefs from all over the globe. One of these superstitions might be causing your bad luck while gambling. Whether it’s cards, slots, dice, or roulette, this article will have something for everyone.

Superstitions have been a part of many cultures throughout history. Many of these have become common practice in many physical casinos around the globe. Some are more well-known than others, and many of them have now been adopted in the online gambling world.

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Most Common Gambling Superstitions

Some of the most common universal gambling superstitions stem from different parts of the world. Some of these have become recognized and are used by gamblers across the globe.

Lucky RedCat

The Chinese believe that red is the colour of prosperity and, therefore, it brings good luck to a gambler who carries or wears a red item while gambling. This could be anything, from a pair of underwear to a piece of ruby jewellery.

Many superstitious gamblers have luck rituals to boost their chances of winning. Some will wear red items of clothing or carry a red object with them while gambling. Some casinos even have entire designated rooms that are red from the floor to the ceiling, giving a sense of luck as you enter them.

woman with crossed fingersCrossing Legs, Crossing Fingers

Many gamblers believe that if you cross your legs at the table, you’ll cancel out any good luck headed in your direction. Try not to sit cross-legged at the table, and this can be particularly difficult when the nerves start.

On the flip side, crossing your fingers can potentially bring you the luck you’re looking for. This is a practice that many superstitious gamblers will use, whether it be online or in the physical casino.

Lucky in Gambling, Unlucky in Love

This superstition goes both ways. The main aspect here is that we can’t be lucky in all aspects of life. However, there was a study carried out at the University of Michigan in the United States of America that showed gamblers who are single take more substantial risks when gambling.

Someone who’s in a relationship of sorts will always play it much safer and, as a result, will lose less. There is no satisfying answer to this one. It comes down to what you choose to believe.

Don’t Walk Through the Front DoorMGM theater

Some superstitious gamblers will avoid walking through the front door of the casino. They’ll prefer to use a side or back entrance as opposed to the main entrance to a physical casino building.

This stems back to the Las Vegas MGM Grand Casino entrance back in 1995. A giant lion surrounded the door, and it led into a lion’s belly. Many superstitious gamblers saw this as a bad omen and avoided entering the casino.

Since then, the casino has been renovated and now has a statue of a golden lion at the entrance. There are superstitious gamblers who still use the side door just-in-case.

Don’t Look Away? Or Vice Versa?

Many superstitious players believe that it is necessary to look away or even walk away from the game to get the winning luck. While others will continuously monitor the ongoing game in fear that they will somehow interfere with the game or bring bad luck.

Counting Money at the Table, and Why You Shouldn't do it

Apart from the obvious safety issues, this is something superstitious gamblers will never do. Some claim it’s about luck, and others see it as merely being rude and unprofessional. Try to avoid counting money at the table.

NumbersLucky Numbers, Unlucky Numbers

When we think of numbers, many things come to mind. Many gamblers have a lucky and an unlucky number for whatever reason they might have. The universal lucky number, however, is 7, and 13 is seen as a bad luck symbol.

The origin of unlucky number 13 being is said to date back to Biblical days to The Last Supper. There were 13 people at The Last Supper, and Judas, the man who betrayed Jesus, is considered the 13th disciple. This is why the number 13 is considered unlucky in Western culture.

However, in Asia, 13 is regarded as one of the many symbols of good luck. The lucky number 7 is known as a symbol of prosperity worldwide. Seven can be seen in many casino slot games.

Horceshoe and cloverUse Your Lucky Charms

There are many ways this applies to gambling superstitions. Good luck charms for gambling can be anything. The most popular objects are the four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, or a partner, generally a lover, relative, or friend. However, a charm can also be an article of clothing, such as a hat or a shirt.

… And Don’t Lend Money

Lending money to another player is considered to be a big no-no. Aside from the potential risk of never seeing that money again, What if that bettor wins using your money? A superstitious gambler would see this as giving away good luck.

Not So Popular Superstitions

Now that we have taken a good look at the more popular superstitions let’s have a look at the less common, slightly more controversial superstitions from around the globe.

50 DollarsWhy do 50 dollar bills cause bad luck?

This American superstition originates from mob days when Las Vegas mobsters used to roam the city. It’s rumoured that their victims were buried in the desert with 50 dollar bills stuffed into their pockets.

These 50 dollar bills are also referred to as ‘frogs’ by superstitious gamblers. Many refuse payouts in 50 dollar bills to this day and consider it bad luck.

Don’t Forget to Feed Baby Ghost

This is an old Chinese gambling superstition. It’s believed that there is a baby ghost that lives behind the gambling table and that feeding the ghost sugar as an offering before you gamble will give you good luck. Be sure not to annoy the dealer by throwing sugar all over their table. This is one of the slightly stranger superstitions.

Pregnancy Gives Good Luck

Originating in Asia, it’s believed that pregnant women carry good fortune in their belly during pregnancy. It’s also thought that she has an extra set of eyes to observe her surroundings, always useful while gambling.

In some parts of Asia, rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman will bring good luck. It might be best not to gamble against a pregnant woman.

Number 4Other Unlucky Numbers

Other unlucky numbers vary in different parts of the world. For example, the number 4 in China and Japan is considered unlucky because the word for number 4, in Chinese, sounds similar to the word for death.

Numbers that represent luckiness or unluckiness are dependent on what part of the world you are from. There are many beliefs rooted in cultural norms from around the globe.

HandItchy Hands

In Slavic nations, this superstition varies slightly. The basic rule of thumb is never to gamble when your right palm is itchy. The symbolism of an itchy right palm is that you will be giving your money away.

On the reverse side of this itchy myth is, if your left hand is itchy, then you are about to receive payment. If you have itchy hands, try to pay attention to which hand it is and try to remember the difference between the left and the right itches.

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Forget About Superstition and Have Fun!

Whichever of these superstitions you follow, if any at all, we hope you are successful in your gambling endeavours and, most importantly, that you have fun! Many gamblers you encounter along the way will have their own personalized beliefs and lucky rituals when it comes to superstitions while gambling.

There are many more different, weird, and wonderful gambling superstitions out there. This article has covered most of the main ones that people believe in.

Lucas Goldberg
Lucas, a seasoned site editor at CasinoCanada, boasts a decade-long journey in the gambling industry with a focus on providing players with meticulous reviews and insights of online games and casinos.
Site Editor
University of Toronto
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Digital Media, and Journalism, PlayTech Analytics career, communication with users through high-quality gambling content.
Expert in:
  • iGaming Content
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Reviewed by Head of Content:
Dmitry Rogalchuk
Last updated on: 20.02.2024

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