5 Gambling Strategies that Seem Unethical But Not Wrong

Are you someone that gambles regularly? Then at some point, you might have wondered, what’s legal in gambling? What are the things that are deemed illegal? And what are some things that may seem illegal to practice, but in reality, are legal? Well, you are not alone. A lot of people in the gambling world, especially those who are new, have this question. Obviously, some practices are illegal in gambling. But a lot of the things are in reality, legal, even though they might not feel like it. So what are the things that can land you a penalty, or worse, in jail? And what are the things that might earn you a few side-eyed glances but also help you win? Let us list these seemingly illegal legal activities in gambling.

Card Counting in Blackjack

The first and most debatable one in the list is probably card counting. Every casino will have you believe that card counting is illegal when it is indeed not. That is because they know that players who can count cards correctly might be able to win a lot of money off the casinos. But we will let you in on a little secret, card counting is not illegal. Some casinos might ban you if you count cards, but most casinos don’t. You are only using your brain and memory to beat the house, and there’s nothing wrong with it.

Hole Card Data

This one is a moral dilemma more than a legal one. Let’s paint a picture here. Say you’re playing blackjack, and you accidentally see the dealer’s facedown card, what do you do then? It is not technically illegal to use that data to your advantage. Casinos make millions of dollars off players. They also should train their dealers in a way that they don’t let the players see the cards. But if they can’t, it’s on them, not you. Accidentally seeing a face-down card and using the information to win some money is not illegal.

Hunting for Bonuses

If you frequent online gambling sites, you know what bonuses are. They are attractive offers that online casinos use to lure in more customers. Online casinos offer a variety of very exciting and attractive offers that people want to check out. Bonus hunting is when you sign up into the website for their bonuses and fulfill the terms to get some money. This is legal and you will face no negative consequences for doing it. But you have to do a lot of research to successfully win some money off it.

Playing at the Losers’ Table

If you are a good poker player and want to make money off it, this is a sneaky strategy that just might work. You can start a poker table and only invite some of the worst players you knew to it. It is not the most ethically sound method, but it might just win you some money. More importantly, this method is not illegal. Inviting people over for a friendly game of poker is legal. It does not matter if you are only doing it to win some money. But of course, in some places, it is illegal to host a poker game at all. In that case, any poker game would be illegal and you might face consequences for it.

Middling

Middling is a very cool little trick that some sports bettors use. You can find middling opportunities if you track lines for a long time. Middling basically means you bet on both sides of the game, but with different lines. You can bet on one team through a sportsbook and on the opponent through another. This way, no matter who wins, you will not lose much money. Middling is not illegal at all, but it also does not make you a lot of money. It is just a way to ensure you do not lose too much.

Conclusion

We talked a lot about the things that are not illegal in gambling. They might seem illegal to some extent but in reality, are not. But remember that there are many countries and places with laws that prohibit you from gambling altogether. Or they just have banned a few forms of gambling. If you break the law in those places by gambling, you might be arrested. So be very aware of all the gambling laws of the place you’re in before you start betting. And always gamble safely.