Superstitions are evident in all cultures and have been with us for a long time. People hold superstitions for every conceivable action or idea and gamblers are no exception. What is more, the fact that people are now able to gamble at remote locations by playing over the Internet is no reason to believe that those people are any less prone to superstitions than their counterparts who play at traditional brick-and-mortar casinos. In fact, it appears that the same superstitions that accompany players at land-based casinos can accompany players that play over the Internet.

At first it may seem odd to think that the superstitions about gambling could apply to Internet gambling as well, but since gamblers are more prone to irrational beliefs than others, it is actually fitting and worth examining how these superstitions have been or could be adapted to online gambling. This is not to say that gamblers are irrational people, it is just that luck plays a big part in gambling in spite of the gambler’s awareness that studying the mechanics of a game or knowledge of the laws of probability are much more likely to enhance the chances of winning than luck. With this in mind, let us take a look at some of the superstitions held by gamblers and how they can be adapted to the world of Internet gambling. Note that gamblers share many of the superstitions that much of the general population holds such as, breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, or crossing the path of a black cat, but these superstitions take on a different significance in the world of gambling.

Breath: We often see people blowing on the dice at casinos as a way of bringing good luck. This may have originated from the original practice of spitting on tools such as axes to make them work better. Whatever the origins, there is no reason why a person sitting at his or her computer could not blow on the computer before sitting down to play at an online casino.

Chairs: Another superstition holds that to turn away bad luck at the casino, rise from your chair and turn with it three times. For online players, there is nothing to stop them from doing this at home in front of the computer or from using a swivel chair to turn around three times before resuming the game.

Lucky Charms: Lucky Charms can go anywhere so wearing or bringing a lucky charm to the computer will work just as well (or not) as it does at a regular casino.

Salt: This superstition is pretty universal and has been around a long time. Some people throw salt over their shoulder while others place the salt around whatever area or object they want to protect from bad spirits. People have even been seen placing salt around the slot machines or at gaming tables. To adapt this superstition to Internet gambling, it would be simple enough to throw a little salt over your shoulder before you start playing at an Internet gambling site, although throwing salt on the computer would not be recommended.