Here is an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal about the odds of winning at a Casino:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304626104579123383535635644.html
Casino gambling statistic data are a closely guarded secret of the gambling industry but there is now a lot of public data about internet gambling out there that the WSJ used to calculate some statistics.
Chance of winning on any one day 30%
Chance of winning over an extended period 11%
Of top 10% of gamblers 95% losers
Big losers outnumber big winners by 128:1
2.8% of gamblers provide 50% of the take
10% of gamblers provide 80% of take
Odds are slightly better for poker which is somewhat a game of skill with the chance of winning over an extended period of around a third.
"Unless they cheat, about the only way gamblers can win at games of chance is to get lucky and then stop gambling."
Gambling has never fascinated me. When I was a kid my dad had a 1915
era working nickel slot machine and a supply of buffalo nickels. No matter how many nickels I started out with I lost every one. Dad would then unlock the one armed bandit and I could start over again and lose every one. Didn't take too many repeats of this to convince me gambling is for losers.
