Gambling Superstitions
Millions of people enjoy gambling worldwide, and most players understand—or should—that luck is central to the outcome of many casino games.
No guide or strategy can promise players a win, which helps explain the appeal of superstition. These beliefs are not always personal habits: communities have handed down customs and rituals over centuries, with particular actions thought to bring fortune.
Which gambling superstitions are familiar in casinos today? This overview considers beliefs ranging from lucky numbers to unusual routines, including the meaning attached to an itchy hand.
Lucky Numbers & Colours
In gambling traditions, 7 has long been seen as a sign of good fortune, prosperity and wealth. That reputation reached slot machines, where classic designs often featured 777 symbols as the jackpot combination. The number remains linked with luck in many places, but Australia is an exception: saying 7 during a visit to Australia would alter the original link text, so the link remains game of Craps and is considered unlucky.
Red is another colour many gamblers regard as fortunate, much as seven is seen as a lucky number in much of the world. The association is especially strong among people of Chinese background, for whom red can represent prosperity. Some casino visitors wear something red in the hope of improving their luck; underwear is often the item they choose.
Rituals
Rituals appear in gambling, sport and ordinary routines alike. After a win, some players keep to the same schedule or way of playing, worried that changing course might end their run of luck. Familiar examples include blowing on dice, knocking on wood, arranging chips in a set pattern, and kissing a companion before placing a bet.
Some players step away from a table once they have bet, while others turn their attention from the outcome, whether in a casino or during online play. Avoiding certain actions is another common superstition. In some parts of the world, counting money at the table is thought to invite bad luck and may also be viewed as unprofessional.
Other Known Superstitions
Customs vary from one culture to another, and a practice that reassures one gambler may seem unacceptable to someone else. Such strongly held ideas can accompany gambling: people hope to win and may adopt habits they believe could help their prospects. Here are several other beliefs reported around casinos in different parts of the world:
The Itchy Hand
Beliefs about an itchy palm differ between Bulgaria and Serbia. In Bulgaria, an itchy right palm is taken as a bad omen, and the advice is to avoid betting. In Serbia, an itchy left hand is associated with good luck, so some might read it as an encouraging sign before placing a wager.
The MGM Lion’s Mouth
Chinese visitors objected to the MGM casino’s prominent entrance in Vegas, which was shaped as a large lion’s mouth. They interpreted entering through its jaws as being swallowed whole—a symbol of losing all their money. MGM responded to those concerns by altering the entrance design.
Lending Money
Giving someone else money to gamble with is often seen as tempting fate, with some believing it could double the loss if their own play turns unlucky. Many gamblers therefore avoid both lending money and accepting it from others. By this rule, each person should gamble only with their own funds.
Crossing Legs
Crossed fingers are treated as a lucky gesture in everyday life in many countries. Crossing your legs during a casino visit, however, is thought by some to “cross out” the luck still to come. Fingers crossed may be fine, but believers might pause before folding their legs—even when that feels more comfortable.
