The June 3, 2013 issue of Maclean’s magazine includes a commentary written by former Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant, titled “Playing Our Cards Right”. This was a rather timely article, given the City of Toronto’s recent rejection of a downtown casino, and now the City of London is pondering out loud whether a gambling location is better suited downtown than in the Western Fair District.
In making one of his points, former A-G Bryant suggests that we read the fine print on the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming) website. So I did. It took me a while to actually find it. It is, after all, fine print. The following is a summary of what I found (emphasis added).
- There is nothing you can do to guarantee a win.
- Loss is inevitable in all casino games over time.
- House advantage is the mathematical edge that ensures the house always has the long-term advantage.
- No system of betting can overcome the house advantage.
- OLG is the house, and will always have the house advantage.
- In the long run, advanced players too will almost always lose money.
- The house advantage guarantees that the longer you play, the more likely you lose money.
What am I thinking? Let me get this straight. OLG encourages us to play for enjoyment, to have fun, and to dream. OLG knows the more we play the more we lose, it is inevitable. So much fodder. For now, speechless.