Some casino players rely on various beliefs and superstitions to guide their gameplay and increase their wins. Some players swear that the rabbit’s foot that they rub will ensure gaming success while others rely on a dreamcatcher or a lucky number or a special coin or key. Many online casino gamers have photos of lucky elephants, pigs, ladybugs and four-leaf clovers propped up next to their gaming screen.
For players who want to bring an element of mysticism and planetary science into their gaming event, astrology is the answer. Astrological divinations, based on the positions and movements of celestial bodies, have been believed to provide accurate guidance for decisions by people around the globe for thousands of years. The next time you’re trying to decide which Grande Vegas online casino games to play or which bonuses to collect, consider a quick consultation with your horoscope of the day.
Astrology
Today, astrology is familiar to most people as a column in the daily newspaper that provides a light-hearted overview of how they should behave, based on the position and movements of the moon, the sun and the stars. But astrology is actually a pseudoscience whose reliability is questionable but whose basic premise has never been completely disproved.
Western astrology is probably the oldest form of astrological study. It seems to have originated in Babylonia approximately 4000 years ago when the Babylonians started to chart the movements of planets and stars and try to determine how these celestial bodies influenced events on Earth. They created the Zodiac, a division of the sky into 12 sections to describe which planets and stars were in which area of the sky at which period of time. Eastern astrology started to evolve separately, about 1000 years ago.
Over the centuries, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Christians and Muslims dabbled in astrology. Each of these civilizations adapted astrology to fit their specific belief system. Astrology became a popular conversation topic in Renaissance Europe among members of high society who believed that the movement of the planets would reveal the future if they were properly understood. World leaders ranging from Elizabeth I of 16th century England to President Ronald Reagen in the 1980s America used horoscopes to guide their decisions and even the world’s most illustrious scientists, including Isaac Newton and Galileo consulted the stars regarding big life decisions.
Today, astrology is a more simplified, sun-sign-based version of the ancient craft of divination of the heavens but many still believe in astrology’s predictive power which can be used to predict success or failure in many aspects of life.
The Horoscope and Casino Gambling
Gambling entertainment has never been about calculations and shrewdness but rather, about entertainment, excitement and anticipation. So it’s no wonder that casino enthusiasts often combine the practice of astrology with their casino adventures. They see their horoscope as influencing gaming outcomes where the day’s astrological sign can provide insight into their luck. How would a gambler use his or her horoscope to guide his/her gaming activities?
The day’s horoscope might direct the player to search out specific days or times when they might find it more successful at the slot machine or at a casino table. For instance, a Sagittarius might use a horoscope’s prediction that the day will be particularly successful to boost their confidence and become more adventurous. Conversely, an Aquarius may want to follow their horoscope’s suggestion to avoid financial decisions on a day when the prediction indicates emotional turbulence or financial danger.
Confidence and Perception
Casino observers note that belief in astrology plays an important component of a gamer’s choices re: which games to play and how to bet. A horoscope can boost a gambler's confidence which, in turn, may influence their decision-making and risk-taking behavior.
If a gambler’s horoscope suggests that today is their lucky day, they may approach the casino with a more optimistic outlook which could, potentially, affect their gameplay. On the one hand, increased confidence might lead to more assertive bets. On the other hand, it could result in overconfidence and reckless gambling.
Players should be aware of the role that confirmation bias plays. If the player wins after reading a positive horoscope, that win could be attributed to the astrological prediction which reinforces the belief in the horoscope’s power. If the player loses, he could simply dismiss the result as an anomaly or interpret the horoscope differently which results in a self-fulfilling prophecy where the belief in astrology impacts the gamer’s behavior and expectations and reduces his ability to make unbiased decisions.
Reality
What does the scientific research say about horoscopes?
When push comes to shove, there is no scientific evidence that supports the idea that astrological signs have any impact on gambling outcomes. Casinos operate on the principles of probability and chance, with games designed to favor the house over time. The randomness that’s inherent in all casino games—at different levels—means that predicting success based on horoscopes is more about personal belief than any empirical correlation.
Moreover, casinos are filled with variables that horoscopes cannot account for -- randomness of the games, psychological state of the gambler, differing RTP rates, etc. A horoscope might provide a gambler with a sense of control or guidance but it does not change the fundamental odds of the games.
Using horoscopes to predict casino success is ultimately a blend of superstition and psychology. For some people, astrology offers a sense of direction. But ultimately, it is not a reliable method for ensuring success in gambling. The outcome of casino games is dictated by chance and mathematical odds, not the alignment of the stars.
