Risky Scams

“Scam” is a tricky word, especially when it comes to gambling. The worst scams are those that involve outright theft, but some scammers are clever enough to exploit the system in their favor. Of course what constitutes a scam differs depending on which side of the fence you're on.

For example, many casinos consider card counting a scam. Is it illegal? Not exactly, but since casinos are private establishments it's within their rights to ban anyone they want. It's definitely not within their rights to confiscate money won, but there are several card pros that can attest to it happening. Card counting may seem like a promising proposition, but if you try it, be prepared to meet security.

One tricky player move that is definitely a scam is the use of slugs. Slugs are fake coins that are weighted to register as a casino's coins but that fall through the machines, essentially giving players free credits. The use of printed vouchers instead of coins has largely done away with this scam, though.

Moving to the other side of the fence, casinos have perpetrated their fair share of scams too. In fact, the popular online poker rooms UltimateBet and Absolute Poker were heavily fined for allowing their employees to cheat other players with a superuser account that showed everyone's hole cards. Other live and online casinos have been called out for posting incorrect payout percentages. To protect yourself from these scams, only play at licensed casinos.

There's another online gambling scam that's become very popular in recent years. Many people will post fly-by-night sites that sell “guaranteed” systems. The systems are little more than superstitious betting advice, but by the time the buyers realize they're junk, their payments have been processed and the sites have been pulled.