The latest scam (for GW) - casinos

Yep, they have arrived. Every new MMO gets the player casino scammers/spammers. Every MMO eventually bans them. Why wait? If you don't want to invest the CS time chasing after them, put player mini games in cities with 50/50 odds. That puts them out of business. Several MMOs have done that.

What exactly is the casino scam? And anybody who participates in something labled "casino" and doesn't expect to get scammed is naive. That's all casinos are is one big scam.

Not sure if you want to call it a "scam," but here's one I saw in the Lion's Gate.

You make a bet. Roll a d100. If you get higher than a 57, you get double your money back. If you roll higher than a 95, you get triple your money back.

Seems like a reasonable gamble. The odds are not in your favor of course, but the percentage is something like 48/52 win/loss. Those are about Vegas odds when you play a favorable game. If you're a skilled card counter playing a favorable game of blackjack where you can vary you betting to adjust for circumstances, then you can tip things in your favor a few percentage, like 52/48.

However in a straightforward game of rolling dice where no skill is involved, then the straight ratio 48/52 would apply (to that particular set of rules).

The only real "scam" is if someone takes your money and then leaves. I hope I don't need to explain the gambling industry and how no game is in your favor to anybody.

That's very true.

But, quite honestly, it isn't the scam that I worry about. It's the spam. There is nothing more aggravating than people advertising their casios constantly in towns and I believe they should be subject to the spam/flooding portion of the Code of Conduct.

Geeze, have we moved into the land of "perfect" where it is almost like we have a Walgreens close by?

Here is the way I see it: the person willing betting their money knows there is a chance they'll lose. (No, I have not done that nor do I intend too)

If they put their gold up for and lose, it's their own fault. The only way I would classify it as a scam is if they win and the "casino" doesn't pay up or they tell the gambler there is a gauranteed ROI.

Yes, it is a scam indeed. I decided I'd try it out today just for trips and giggles. They were spamming 60-80 x2 payout, 90-100 x3, 1-7 x4 on a 100 sided dice. So I said I'd give it a shot, slapped down 1 plat chump change, rolled my dice, got a 66 so I was like "YES! I won..2 plat for me.." But, I was dumb about it, I gave them the plat beforehand. And I opened a trade and said,"Pay out." They said, "No, it's 69-89 for x2 payout." When they had stated about seven to ten times that it was 60-80, I even copied and pasted. However, they were adament on not paying out. So I informed them,"Congratulations on the scam, I will make sure everyone knows." And here I am, so..don't fall for this cheap scam. The person's name was Immortal Rain.

In that case, that goes along the lines of the "casino" not paying up.

Well I admit I find it odd that they would advertise that way, seeing as how that would mean 81-89 would be a loss to you. It's not often you see gambles structured that way with gaps.

But yea, casinos would pretty much have to take your money first. Otherwise what's to stop people from just walking away after a losing roll? Ever notice that when you buy and sell via the internet, the buyer always pays first?

I do not run a casino in Guild Wars nor do I approve of their actions whole heartedly. But as for scamming people if they are of their word they should be allowed. Again without spamming the All channel and as others have put it "not paying up". Banning them is ridiculous because it costs that player real money to begin playing again. Casino's thrive on the gullible and although other scams do for the most part, they are up front about their methods. The only question I have regarding this issue is what is ArenaNet's official stance on this topic. Seeing as how they control the scam reports. Should people that run these so called "casinos" be banned? I don't like to hear people threaten others through the All channel regarding deactivation of account. Doesn't create a very friendly environment to play in.

Sincerely PHMK,

Just for the sake of the experiment, I went on and tried one of the so-called "Casino Scams". Won 150 gold from a 50 gold bet.
Now I have no problems against casinos: if a person is willing to sit all day long by a fountain, it's fine by me: his loss. Have you ever thought about the odds of those players to be scammers? I mean the dealer can get much more money with a trustworthy reputation and people coming gambling than if he goes off with somebody's grand.
Having real casinos won't cherish anyone: only n00bs will play and then will spam the forums and the game crying that they lost all their money on gambling and begging for gold. I'd rather have "Montgomery's Casino - by the fountain!" appearing twice in a minute than "plz can n1 giv me gp??????" all over the general chat.

They banned casinos in most games and I hope this one is no different. Majority of casinos are scams as they simply take your money and run off. Not only that, you also get constant spam from the scammers.

Won more 400 gold and bought a dye with the money earned.
You don't have to worry about casinos, though, as more and more people seem them like scams and tend to avoid.
It's funny how people become attached to game-money...

Unless the "casino" is controlled by the game, this is most likely what will happen. Easiest way to nip this in the bud is if ArenaNet placed a non-player character in every town that ran an automated "casino".

You have to realize that these are the casinos/scammers main objectives:

1. Get your money

2. Get your money even if you must bend the rules and play on peoples' stupidity

3. Never lose their own money

4. Avoid paying up at all costs

5. Get your money

6. And most importantly NEVER PAY UP!!

I guess I just was lucky in the two casinos I got.
Well, at least all this got me richer by a silver dye so I can't complain.
I am still against NPC casinos though.

I got scammed like this by a person named Harry J Potter

I will keep spamming his whisper box until he answers back.

Sigh. I'm not advocating casino's but if you deal with them you have to be prepared to never see that money again. I'm sorry that people continue to complain about them after they get robbed but there was a choice. Your choice to play their game, but be aware. There are as in real life no full proof get rich quick schemes. Never have that mind set. It leads to trouble. As for how to solve the problems of casinos. A couple things could happen which people have already touched upon. They can create NPC gamblers. Make places specifically geared to gambling(monitored, highly unlikely). Or lastly completely take an offensive stand towards them and get rid of them.

Casinos have been around for a long time and they're all the same.

Once someone bids high, like 5k+, they log off. It's really stupid and it pisses me off.

I hate them...they are completely out of place.

Agreed...

But I do enjoy laughing at people that actually go to the casinos and get ripped off (I didn't know how to roll die when I first saw one, and that gave me time to sit down and realize it was a scam. Scammers thrive on impulsive people!!).