Indian casinos, cruises…legit?

I’ve talked before about the validity of online cards, mostly poker, but you could certainly include black jack in that mix, as well. But there are plenty of other gambling entities that deserve scrutiny and questioning as to whether they’re not only valid as games, but valid as a fair option for gambling.

The biggest topic of discussion in this area lately is Indian casinos. Since they’re not technically on U.S. soil, regulars start wondering who governs these casinos and what keeps them honest (usually the questions come up after a losing session, but let’s roll with it for the sake of argument here).

Here’s the deal. Indian casinos must pay for their own gaming commission. The staff of which are all salaried by the casinos themselves. Questionable practices right there in my view. You can draw your own conclusions, but when an entity isn’t directly under the law of the government, it’s not something I’d want to risk my own money with.

Also on the list is cruise ships. I hear nothing but complaints about cruise ships. Technically, these things are regulated by the government under which each one is flagged, but when you’re hundreds of miles out to sea and you suspect something…uh…fishy, who are you going to complain to? And worse, how are you going to work out the burden of proof. It’s virtually impossible. There are no laws requiring recorded sessions of gaming, so you can be sure there’d be no documentation of your alleged cheat. Out at sea, playing at tables where the dealers all work and LIVE together….at the very least it makes you suspicious. I, personally, have never run into many problems in a cruise ship (even though I’m smart enough to do minimal gambling on them), so I can’t speak from experience here, only observation.

There are blackjack players out there who play regularly at Indian casinos and swear up and down they’ve never seen them practice anything but ethical gaming top to bottom. They watch them open new decks, shuffle as normal, etc… Yet, there are others who through either research, personal experience or both will tell you flat out that cheating happens, the worst of it when the games aren’t under the direct law of a government agency.

I used to gamble at the two venues in question much more than I do now, and for much the reason I just discussed. A good rule of thumb is this: If you have any doubt as to whether you’re being taken for a ride….why take a chance?