 
Finder's
keepers losers weepers?
Dear
Mark,
You always say check your machine
for credits before you leave. Is
it true that if I went to play a
machine and there were credits left
on it by someone I could get in
trouble with the casino? Beri W.
Called
"sea gulling" in gambling
lingo, it is illegal to specifically
circle the casino looking for credits
on a slot machine. Not even change
on the floor. I've seen player impostors
given the heave ho (the dreadful
permanent 86) for making a full-time
occupation of floating the casino
looking for easy pickings. Fortunately
I have never heard of an unsuspecting
patron walking up to a machine with
credits, playing them, and being
shown the door.
Nevertheless, Beri, before you walk
away from any slot machine, don't
forget to press the cash-out button.
Millions are lost each year by gamblers
forgetting their stored credits
(winnings).
Dear
Mark,
Though this question is not technically
gambling related, I figured you
might know the answer. In sweepstakes
and contests, do you stand the same
chance of winning even if you do
not purchase the product (magazines)
the company is trying to sell? Sally
C.
Sweepstakes,
like casinos, by nature tap into
the dark heart of the American Dream.
Something for nothing! And because
sweepstakes entries reach 8 in 10
households, with an estimated 108
million sweepstakes entries received
from more than 80 million U.S. households
last year, it makes for an excellent
question.
Many
people believe that if they buy
merchandise with their entry they
have a better chance of winning
a sweepstakes. Not so, states the
Direct Marketing Association, the
Magazine Publishers of America and
the Promotion Marketing Association.
All legitimate sweepstakes entries
have an equal chance of winning.
Federal law requires that no purchase
is necessary to win a sweepstakes
prize, and legitimate sweepstakes
never require any purchase or "deposit"
to play or win. This policy is stated
on every sweepstakes mailing from
law-abiding companies.
Also
note, Sally, that approximately
four out of five sweepstakes entries
are sent in without any purchase.
Correspondingly, four out of five
sweepstakes winners last year came
from contestants who didn't purchase
a product. But, Sally, I can't state
enough that the operative word here
is "legitimate." Fraudulent,
illegal sweepstakes often require
a payment or purchase. These lawless
rip-off artists often use names
similar to legitimate companies
to confuse the consumer. Machiavellian
or not, expect to find most sweepstakes
entries inferring in large type
that you're a "guaranteed winner,"
small type showing insurmountable
odds and computer-generated language
that sounds as if you were receiving
a personal letter. That, Sally,
is the nature of the beast.
Taking
into account that your typical sweepstakes
odds are a tougher beat than your
state lottery, the only way you
can avoid both crooked companies
and exposing your Visa Platinum
to solicited charges is to religiously
follow this one cardinal rule. Enter,
never purchase.
Dear
Mark,
I don't quite understand what is
meant by a pay cycle on a slot machine.
Does it mean that over one pay cycle,
every possible combination on the
reel will appear? Melvin V.
Not
quite, Melvin. The term "pay
cycle" is a theoretic expression
used to describe the number of plays
required for the machine to display
all the possible winning and non-winning
combinations. But, because each
and every spin is a random event,
a machine won't hit all the possible
combinations through any one specific
cycle.
Dear
Mark,
In our office football pool, I place
near the bottom almost every week.
Any advice on what I can blame my
continuous losses? Randy V.
Sports
betting is a combination of both
skill and luck. Your wins, Randy,
come from your superb handicapping
abilities. Just blame your losses
on a late game interception or fumble.
Dear
Mark,
I really enjoy your column on the
internet, but I have yet to see
a discussion on two new table games
on the floor: Let it Ride and Caribbean
Stud Poker. Obviously, if they have
a house advantage above your recommended
two percent, I'm not interested.
So exactly how high is the house
edge on these new games? Dan C.
First,
Dan, I must commend you for being
the rare breed of gambler who looks
at the casino advantage before making
a wager.
The house edge for Let it Ride is
3.5% and 5.3% for Caribbean Stud
Poker.
As for the progressive bonus side
bets, the house advantage is 46
an 48 percent respectively.
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