The House Always Wins

New England Journal Of Med.

Psychological and financial incentives

Casinos are some of the most profitable businesses in the world which do not produce a product. Although casinos are highly regulated by government agencies to reduce scams and cheating, the public is seldom aware of the odds of winning any particular game.

Casinos have mastered the art of temptation. A barrage of psychological and economic incentives are designed to part you from your money. Once you have have made a bet and lost some money, you have a greater motivation to continue betting in order to recover your losses. Unless you are extremely disciplined and stop betting, trying to recover a gambling loss can start a vicious cycle in which you keep losing against the casino.

In the end, the casino always wins because the odds are stacked in its favor.

from recent NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE