Casino RipOff? Tell me ...

I'm writing an article for M2 about people getting ripped off in Casinos. Some "bugs" are just human it seems.
I'm interested in hearing from players, owners and just about anyone who has any experience with this kind of thing.
Reply to the thread, but best is to send me a personal message please.
This is kinda URGENT since I'm writing the article this week.
xxTiger

Well I've made a few casino games and although I keep the odds exactly what I say they are, I can see it tempting to rig them. No one is going to be looking into your code

That's why I don't gamble. Apart from the fact I that whenever I've attempted gambling in RL I've always lost.

The way I see it sooner or later RL regulations will catch up with SL. And it's going to be a good thing.

You just can't tell. There's no history for casinos. No statistics for a casino. Nothing. Just the casino operator's word and that of the casino game builder. Yeah sure you get one avatar saying they played there and he won a little. That's just one avatar. Add that to the fact that the Lindens will have nothing to with regulating this and what do you get?

I think many people (myself included) would argue that in many cases the humans are the bugs.


/me ducks the philosophical debate that's about to come in response to that statement

I think the bugs are insulted now!

the easiet way to tell whether a casino is worth gambling in is by the amount of people there. Even if they are just campers because the money for camping would dry up if the owner wasnt making money.

If you are afraid of playing because you think the owner has rigged the game then only play games that are very well known such as VGI game, mega money, easy money etc.

i have experienced both the good and bad from gambling.

lost money when i first came here because i was gambling in an empty casino. Won the jackpot but it didnt pay out. the owner must have run out of money beacuse i went back a few days later and everything was gone.

have continued gambling since then but have found places to gamble where casino operates fairly.
If you want a folder full of places that are safe to gamble send me an IM in game and i will provide you with them.

and remember because it is gambling the odds are always set so the owner makes money.
but if you do enjoy7 gambling there is a great time to be had and a lot of money to be won.

Thankyou folks for your input - still I really would like some "close encounters" - names, places, sums of money etc.
If anyone has an issue with my quoting them please tell me ....
Rocketman I'll contact you in world as you suggest.
Keep it coming - food for the flames!
xxTiger

You have to be very trusting to gamble in SL - or gullible.

Giving you Names, and Places in the Forums is a Violation of TOS, and i Think your Asking In the Forums for people to message you such information May be as well (Though i May be mistaken on that second point).
Were i you, I would check the Forum rules, or confirm with a Mod before proceeding.

Angel.

Although I do not gamble myself, I have heard many stories of people hitting jackpots at even the major casinos, not getting paid and then when they try and contact the casino owner, they get banned. Do a search on these forums and you'll find a whole bunch of stories. Then you can contact the posters directly. Many of them seemed to really want to get the word out, so I’m sure they would help.

Gambling in real life is stupid and for people with bad math skills. Gambling in SL is even more stupid as there are no regulations what so ever and any odds could be set.

Lets not even get into the fact that gambling even in SL, as per the US Justice Dept. is illegal for any American to partake in and is punishable by up to a 100,000USD$ fine and/or up to five years in prison. After the US Justice Dept was quoted mentioning SL and how gambling in SL would not shield you from prosecution, I could BET (get it?) that they are doing an investigation and will be arresting those who partake in illegal gambling sometime soon. The first virtual gambling bust. It will make headlines I'm sure and make a real impression that gambling is illegal and you will go to jail even if it is in a virtual world.

Bottom line, gambling is stupid and gambling in SL is even stupider.

Gee, tell us how you really feel.

Gambling like anything else is up to the user to decide if they want to do it. Could you also post a link to where you got "After the US Justice Dept was quoted mentioning SL and how gambling in SL would not shield you from prosecution" from. I would be very interested in reading that.

Hi there. Sorry for being blunt, but I was simply trying to help the OP with true and valid info. What of what I said can you rebuff? Anyways, the quote has been cited in several news stories on gambling and/or Secondlife over the past month. You can probably find them by doing a search via Google, etc. Here's a link to one of them and the quoted text.

Link: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0122/p14s02-stct.html?s=u3

Quote,
" Some SL businesses already may be operating outside current law. Casino gambling and sports betting are pervasive in SL. The fact that bets are made in lindens, not dollars, won't shield gamblers from possible prosecution under federal laws banning Internet gambling, says Jaclyn Lesch, a spokeswoman for the US Justice Department. "Regardless of how one pays for the bet, it is still a bet if it involves something of value. While not a credit card or cash, [virtual currencies] would still be a thing of value" especially considering the fact that they are later redeemed for cash. " End quote

That is interesting, but http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/article.php?id=291 is also making good points.

As for casinos and betting, some people do find enjoyment in it. Just like some people like to sky dive, swim with sharks, hick up mountains in the middle of the winter, or any of the other dangerous activities. When I gamble in real life, I just look at it as a loss before I even step into the casino. I look at as a night out with friends. If I end up bringing more money back home then what I left with, it is a bonus. So, I do dispute that gambling is only for the stupid and those with bad math skills.

Yea, sorry. I didn't mean to say that you are stupid, hehe. I have also gambled a bit at Vegas, etc. My main point is that in SL anyone can set any odds on the machines, and you as a gambler have no idea what those odds are actually set at. In Vegas, the "gaming" world is HIGHLY regulated, in SL it is not regulated at all. That combined with the fact that it is illegal to gamble in SL as an American, just makes the whole thought of doing so silly to me.

Yes, I have read the Linden Lawyer response. I don't think it would make me feel any better. He's more less saying that LL is simply the service provider and that if the US Justice Dept, for example, were to ask them for the identities of those who own casinos or gamble, that they will be happy to give that info to them. The whole "Do linden Dollars have value" issue is more less moot as it is obvious that they do as they are traded on an open market. Even gambling over the internet with peanuts is illegal, if you are inside the USA.

None of it matters to me, as I don’t gamble, in game or out. It will be interesting to see what happens, though.

I would disagree with you. I think that if a sudden crack down happens in SL it could have the power to destroy the entire economy. The ripple effect could even go as far has to ruin LL. The lawsuits and legal battles could really get out of control. If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Sorry Angel,
slight misunderstanding there. I'm only asking individuals to come forward, as avatars, to tell me their own stories about how they might have been ripped off. Not to give stories on others and of course only to speak to me with their own consent. So not a TOS violation. The forum guidelines point to individual conversations to be taken to IM etc. - that's exactly what I'm proposing.

And all contributors to this thread - thankyou kindly. You've helped provide M2 with another fascinating article

tnx.
Tiger

Good. I think it's a Good idea, at least Dealing with how Questionable SL Gambling could be. I don't want to see you get shut down on a technicality.

If i mention the Possibility of a TOS Violation, it's because i Don't want good ideas to get shut down. Otherwise, I wouldn't say anything.

Angel.