Do online gambling winning streaks exist?
What’s better than winning once at your online casino? A winning streak. Winning over and over again, of course! That’s the thrill of a winning streak – by far one of the most exhilarating gambling experiences you’ll ever have. There’s the sensory extravaganza of lights and sounds that accompany every win, the adrenaline rush, and of course the money too. There’s nothing like it!
But, are winning streaks actually a real thing. Or more of a psychological illusion? It’s an interesting question, and answering it could also bring more value to your gaming and winning moments. Let’s look at whether ‘hot’ streaks exist or not, and what you can do to manage your expectations and finances as you go after that next big win.
What is a winning streak?
Of course, before we can explore the nature of winning streaks, we have to understand exactly what they are first. One win is a win – many wins is a winning streak. So if you’ve been lucky enough to have a consecutive series of wins one after the other, enjoying success over and over in a short space of time. Congratulations, you’re on a winning streak!
What does that look like to players? Well, if you’re a slots fan, it’s matching the symbols on the reels for a streak of back-to-back wins. If you’re more into Blackjack or Poker, it could mean consistently outplaying your opponents and the house over an extended period of time. Any situation in which you’re repeatedly coming out on top counts as a winning streak. And boy does it feel good!
The psychology behind winning streaks
Think about whether or not you’ve ever been in this situation. A random series of events happens throughout your day, with one big event taking place right at the end. So surely all those little things were leading up to the big one, right?
Not really, actually. This is just an example of our innate need to make order out of chaos. As humans, we’re naturally wired to detect patterns in life. Even when none exist. So that even the most random events have meaning and weight behind them. This is known as apophenia. And it’s one way that we simply try to look for purpose in our everyday lives. In gambling, however, this feeling can manifest in the belief that you’re suddenly on a roll. That your luck has changed and that anything and everything you do will help contribute to your success. It’s a giddy feeling, but it’s also a dangerous one too.
Why?
To answer that, we’ll need to look at a concept known as the ‘hot-hand fallacy’ – a psychological condition where people believe that someone or something is either ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, depending on their past performance. Or, put more simply, that success breeds success.
While this concept began life in sports psychology, it’s now trickled down into online gambling too, making players believe that any past successes they’ve had will lead to future ones. While a confident, positive attitude is always a plus in online gambling, feeling invincible or untouchable can sometimes go the other way, becoming problematic instead.
If you’re in the zone, you could indulge in riskier behaviour which could ultimately lead to expensive mistakes and a devastating outcome for your bankroll. So despite the signs you might be seeing and the patterns you might be picking up on, always play with caution, and always make managing your finances your number one priority.
The role of randomness and probability
In fact, what we perceive as patterns in online gambling are actually nothing more than the results of fair and random outcomes governed by the casino’s Random Number Generator, or RNG. With this algorithm powering the results of every game, each spin of the reels, draw of the cards and roll of the dice is completely independent from the one before. Meaning that statistically, winning streaks simply don’t exist in games of pure chance.
For example:
Ever flipped a coin that’s landed on heads a few times in a row, and then thought that surely the next one MUST be tails? Actually no – there’s every chance that it could end up heads again. That’s because in a fair coin toss, the odds of flipping heads remain 50% regardless of how many times heads or tails have appeared previously
It’s the same with online slots. Just because you haven’t won for a while doesn’t mean that the slot is gearing up for ‘the big one’. That’s because the outcome of each and every spin is determined by the RNG, and is unaffected by past results.
So how DO winning streaks exist then? Because they ARE a thing?! The prevailing thought is simply random clustering – that one success after another is simply a natural part of probability rather than some kind of otherworldly lucky streak. More scientific yes – but definitely less fun though!
Why winning streaks feel real
If winning streaks are all about probability rather than good luck (or magic) why do they FEEL so real at the time? Because you’re on an emotional high that can take the place of pragmatic, logical thinking, with a number of factors contributing to your sense of instant well-being:
Dopamine rush: Dopamine is the brain’s feel-good chemical, and nothing triggers it like winning! The more you win, the bigger a dopamine hit you’ll feel running through you, which is where that feeling of invincibility comes from.
Confirmation bias: You know that you’re on a winning streak and nothing can convince you otherwise. Just look – everything you’re touching is turning to gold (figuratively)! That’s confirmation bias at work. Your brain choosing to focus selectively on one thing (winning) and ignoring everything else (losing). Which is where the illusion of your winning streak comes from.
Recency effect: It just happened so it must be meaningful, right? That’s the recency effect at work. A cognitive bias where ideas or events that came last are remembered more clearly than those that came first. Which is why if you started out your gambling session losing, but ended it winning. You’re more likely to look at it as a winning streak. Rather than the statistical anomaly it is.
Are winning streaks more than just luck?
So we’ve talked about probability and randomness, but are there ever any circumstances in which there’s more to a winning streak than just pure luck and chance? Where you can actually influence the outcome positively in your favour?
As it turns out, yes – when skills-based games like Poker, Blackjack or even sports betting are involved. That’s because these types of games don’t rely on randomness alone for their outcomes. They also owe a lot to a player’s command of strategy, knowledge, and experience. If you’re a skilled player, you’ll be able to exploit any weaknesses you see, identify favourable odds, and keep cool under pressure. A hugely important skill. And if you’re able to create that magic balance between proficiency and probability, that’s when your winning streak will hit. All thanks to you!
Top tips for managing expectations
We know how captivating the idea of a winning streak can be, but it’s important to keep a calm, measured mindset at all times, and not focus on winning to the exclusion of everything else. Here’s how you can try to do that:
Understand the odds: Keep reminding yourself that no matter what outcomes have taken place previously. Each one is independent and cannot influence the one that comes after. By recognizing that there are no patterns to wins, you won’t let the illusion of a streak negatively influence your betting decisions.
Set limits: Whether you’re winning or losing, it’s always important to set limits for both, before you start playing. Once you reach those limits, then it’s time to step away. Respecting your boundaries and managing your mental state and your finances is a sign of discipline, not weakness. So take your power back!
Stay grounded: Remember that just because you’ve had a series of losses doesn’t mean you’re automatically ‘due’ for a win. Or that because you’ve had a series of wins, you’re more likely to keep on winning the longer you play. Keep a clear head and rein your emotions in – you’ll make smarter decisions as a result.
Enjoy the ride: Finally, always remember the number one rule: that gambling should first and foremost always be about fun. Forget the numbers and the strategies and the probabilities and just enjoy it for what it is – pure entertainment at its best. That’ll keep you focused on what’s really important, which is spending time doing something you love.
How to keep that winning feeling
So, we’ve established that winning streaks are more psychological phenomena than actual fact. That while it’s possible to enjoy a number of consecutive wins in a row, it’s more about luck than anything supernatural or predetermined. Fair enough.
That’s the science behind it though. The emotion behind it is something else. Because winning streaks are FUN, and it’s awesome to be on one while it lasts. So if you ever find yourself in the place where luck and skill intersect, enjoy it while you can, make the best gambling decisions you can, and get the most value from your streak as possible.