Fact: There will always be people trying to scam money out of people who are trying to win money. It just seems that some folks who are looking for guarantees to win “money for nothing” are easy targets for scam artists who prey upon their gullibility.
The casino gambling industry is loaded with people seeking to make money off “pie in the sky” gamblers. Gambling creates the perfect climate for taking advantage of people who believe that “inside info” not only exists but also is for sale.
Perhaps you’ve been the recipient of a letter trying to sell you a “get rich quick” gambling system for a relatively reasonable price. They’re pretty much all the same: The offer of a guaranteed, sure-fire way to beat the casinos out of their money or your money back.
I recall one such solicitation that was forwarded to me a number of years ago. It came in a plain brown envelope with no return address postmarked Brooklyn, N.Y.
It didn’t take a genius to see through the absurdity of the solicitation. Unfortunately, there are enough people out there who can’t see through it and make the purveyors of this garbage rich.
The claims made in the information were truly incredible: “How to rob slot machines legally….Join thousands of people who are regularly winning up to $1,000 in just a few hours….Never lose at slots again! Guaranteed…Use your small starting amount to win up to $2,000 every weekend.”
The cost for the system was $25.
Common sense should tell anyone receiving this in the mail that it is totally lacking in credibility. In order to buy into this system, you have to believe that slot machines are “rigged” and you have to be totally unaware of the true random nature of slot machine play.
People who prey on other people with this and similar claims to instant riches make their money on volume. Say, for example, that the mailing went to 100,000 people. If only 10 percent of the people responded with a check, you’re talking $250,000. If 1 percent of the recipients buy it, the scammer will collect $25,000.
Get rich quick gambling systems are based on a flawed premise in that they claim to be able to divert money gambled on slot machines out of the casino’s coffers and into the “system player’s pocket.” That’s not only false, it’s impossible.
If you are an informed gambler, you know the only way to arm yourself for casino play are wise money management and a thorough knowledge of the games and optimum playing strategies.
Slot machines are not games of chance capable of being manipulated. They are “electronic gaming devices” governed by computer programs that are guaranteed to pay a set percentage of money back to players as a collective group and guaranteed to make money for the casino.
The information contained in the packet really amounts to fraud. There’s probably some legal loophole that exists for the “scam makers” to avoid prosecution, but I don’t know what it is. I do know this: When you get one in the mail, read it for amusement purposes only and then toss it in the trash.
