People who play slots online will always come across Wild West style games. Most of the time, we think of the Wild West gambling scenario in poker terms. In it, gunslingers play until the situation heats up, and they wrap it up with a gun duel. What is the history of Wild West gambling, and are there traditions that survived?

Wild West Gambling History

Gambling in the Wild West style was popular back in the 1850s. At that time, most people gambled for entertainment. There were saloons in towns, and many people of different sex, race, and professions supported these saloons.

Most of the people who gambled were:

• Miners;
• Workers;
• Lumberjacks.

Businesspeople and people of the law, like the sheriff of the town, also participated in gambling activities. At that time, it was not illegal and was easy to access. People always had a way to start a gambling joint, especially when a group of folks started a settlement in a place.

Like modern casinos today, gambling halls in the late 1800s in the Wild West showed financial affluence. These places also had bars and stages where someone could perform.  

Wild West Gambling Traditions

Gambling in the Wild West had no specific traditions. It was not like shipyards where they recited a prayer and broke a bottle of wine. However, there are practices and beliefs that existed in those times that may still be present today.

Brothels and Hotels

In the Wild West, gambling facilities normally had hotels and bars. There were also women who sold their services to gamblers. Some people went to gaming facilities not to gamble but to get drunk or have a woman provide personal services.

Today, the same thing can be expected from land-based casinos. Although prostitution is illegal, there are always escort workers in casino joints. In addition, you can also expect alcohol in casinos. On top of that, the biggest casinos in the world are inside a hotel.

Entertainment

In the past, music was also part of the saloons. There was always a person who played the piano, or a band that played jazz. Today, the same tradition remains, albeit the entertainment rooms are separate from the casinos themselves. However, modern casinos today still have entertainment areas within the casino.

For example, it is not unusual to have a singer grace an event inside a casino. While people gamble, the singer performs. Not all gamblers pay any heavy attention to the singer, but the voice adds to the entertainment factor.

Belief Systems

No amount of education can change the perception of many people. From the old Wild West to today, there are persistent beliefs in the gambling industry:

• Gambler’s Fallacy – the belief that the same unit would appear if it had already appeared several times. For instance, if red appeared several times in roulette more than black, then it must be red that will come out again. This belief, of course, is wrong. The statistical odds of landing on back, red, or green are the same for every throw.
• Cheating Fallacy – in the past, gamblers accused winners of cheating, and no amount of explanation could convince them that it was not so. Today, many people still have this belief. They think that blackjack dealers cheat. They also believe that casinos rig the games, like slot machines. In reality, casinos do not have to cheat to win.
• Being Lucky – old traditions dictate that players believed in lucky days, lucky charms, and such. This tradition is still prevalent among gamblers today. 

Even in modern times, some believe that the gods will favour them one day. These same people believe in luck. If they dream of something, they are assured that these dreams have meaning. They think it is a message from a supernatural entity telling them how to win in gambling.

As far as cheating goes, casinos do not need to cheat to win. It is like saying that LeBron James has to cheat to win against a high school player to win in a one-on-one game.

By design specifics, casino games are well-designed and built in a smart way. It is why there is a saying that the house has an edge and always wins. Gamblers get attracted to the winning amount, but never pay attention to the statistics or the math of the game.

The Wild West is an iconic part of history in the United States. Today, a West-themed story will never be complete without showing a gambling saloon. It will remain a captivating figure, and its imagery will invoke a nostalgic feeling among gamblers. Today, we know that gambling is a persistent habit of people. The act of gambling shows a strong association between people and their ability to take risks.