The Cultural Significance of Gambling Superstitions
On every continent and culture there exist various gambling superstitions. From simple beliefs about luck and fortune to complex rituals and mythologies.
Some gamblers avoid counting money when playing casino online games due to superstitious beliefs that counting it could bring bad luck.
Europeans believe the number 13 to be unlucky and consequently, many casinos avoid including it on their floors and roulette tables.
Asian cultures
Asian cultures place great emphasis on superstition, numerology and the concept of luck. Many believe their destiny has already been predetermined by their ancestors; consequently, winning or losing in gambling carries more personal weight for Asian gamblers than Westerners.
Chinese culture attributes special meaning to the number eight due to its relationship to words for wealth and prosperity, making it particularly significant to gamblers who pray to gods of luck or use lucky charms like joss sticks before gambling.
Some Asians also employ feng shui to increase their chances of luck when gambling, for example by avoiding casinos whose entrances feature lions – considered bad luck by feng shui.
European cultures
Although superstitions associated with gambling may appear irrational, they actually play an essential part in the psychology of casino players. Superstitions provide a sense of security and control while helping gamblers cope with the uncertainty of gambling, reinforcing positive experiences and building confidence.
European gambling superstitions are heavily influenced by religion and cultural traditions, including religion being phonetically similar to death and Italian superstition believing the “horns” hand gesture will bring luck when betting.
Native American cultures
Native American cultures are rich with folklore and spiritual traditions. One such superstition involving gambling involves rabbits being associated with fertility and prosperity by many tribes – with some believing uttering their name will bring good fortune, while wearing their foot can bring luck as well.
Participants were interviewed regarding their traditional Native American culture and habits in this study. Results demonstrated that those with stronger connections to traditional culture were less likely to engage in risky activities like alcohol misuse and gambling addiction.
South African cultures
South Africa, commonly referred to as “The Rainbow Nation,” boasts an extraordinary cultural diversity. Thus it can be difficult to generalise about their peoples’ etiquette and culture.
However, South Africans are well known for their unwavering love and friendship for one another – even strangers! Additionally, they show tremendous respect to elders while understanding the value of forming warm relationships with them.
Within minutes of one another lies Johannesburg’s luxurious villas for the rich elite as well as tar-paper shacks of black day labourers – this contrast exemplifies how deeply social class, ethnicity, religion and residence influence lives across South Africa.
North African cultures
North Africa is an exceptionally culturally rich region spanning Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia as well as a portion of Western Sahara that lies to its west. It is predominantly Muslim while also home to Berbers – indigenous people of northern Africa.
North African cultures believe numbers to have magical and mystical powers, leading them to select specific numbers as lucky ones when gambling. These beliefs also affect gambling behavior; some gamblers consider certain numbers lucky while choosing particular ones as lucky numbers when picking winning numbers for gambling purposes.
Researchers in North Africa frequently encounter difficulties accessing populations to conduct surveys, making data unrepresentative across cultures and leading to inaccurate results.
Maori cultures
Maori culture is steeped in gambling superstitions, including beliefs that certain spiritual tokens possess powers that attract good luck. Furthermore, they believe gambling on religiously significant days or near sacred objects invites divine punishment and bad luck.
Maori ancestors were masterful users of charms, and their tohunga (priestly adepts) were adept in ritual formulae to break stones, blow trees down, destroy animal life and raise or calm ocean levels as well as cure sicknesses. Charms would often be carried around on one foot to give an aura of power – it was believed only this part possessed mana (energy).
Middle East cultures
As the “cradle of civilization”, the Middle East is home to various cultures and languages from across its vast geography, as well as being home to three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Historical gamblers frequently employed rituals and lucky charms to increase their chances of success in gambling. Such practices included praying to gods associated with luck as well as visiting temples dedicated to these deities; such activities added a spiritual element and psychological comfort for many ancient gamblers.
Egypt and Israel both possess strong business cultures; however, their differences often create cultural misunderstandings between both countries.
