math essay
salehshihon
PrinciplesofGamblingFinalEssay.pdf
Thomas Catalano
Molly Ness
LA-255-02
9 December 2017
Principles of Gambling
While still uncertain of its exact origin, gambling can be dated back to the Paleolithic era,
or before a time of written history. With this in mind, many historians believe it to have been
created in 3000 to 4000 BC, with the Mesopotamian creation of the six sided die. However, the
ideology of gambling, or the bartering and wagering of a value on the outcome of an event
wasn’t fully established until ancient China’s influence. In China, gambling houses were widely
established to bet on the fighting of animals. In ninth century China, the first set of playing cards
were established. Today, Poker is the most popular U.S. card game associated with gambling.
As the technological age began to grow, online gambling games, became one of the most
controversial and complex environments for gambling.
Over time, and throughout every civilization, gambling has continued to evolve with each
new advancement whether it’s cards, dice, or technology. With that, one of the biggest
constants to allow the growth of gambling, was math. Surprisingly enough, the first identified
number system was actually counting one’s fingers. This system grew into what we know now
as whole numbers, or numbers that don’t have fractions or decimals attached to them. With this,
a fairly simple bartering, trading, and gambling system could be established. Whether it’s one
chicken for one goat, or one coin for two pots, this simple form of whole number trading allowed
for a bartering system and gambling system to easily be connected. When China initially
created the 52 card deck, the suits were based off the four seasons, and the number of cards in
each suit was the thirteen lunar cycles. Over time, Europe established playing cards and
idealized the king, queen, and jack set that we know today.
In modern gambling, specifically in the UK, “fractional odds” is a term used in gambling
and is defined as the relative total that will be paid out. An example of this is as follows: If you
have 2/1 odds and bet $1 or 1 euro, you will get $2 /euro for winning. This continues in ratio with
$10 bet and $20 earning. Another use of fractions in gambling can be seen in the 2008 movie
21. The movie discusses the mathematical principles behind gambling. One scene in the movie
demonstrates the Monty-Hall Problem which I will discuss in my class
demonstration. In this problem, the addition of new data will increase
the probability of a value. Although referring to a game show
probability. This is known as a worldwide basis gambling technique.
On the other hand, decimals are also used in gambling primarily in Australia, New
Zealand, and Canada. Decimal Odds is the system of multiplying your stake in the bet by the
decimal to get your possible winnings. An example is if you have odds of 5.00 and stake $1,
you'll receive $5 in winnings. This type of betting is primarily used in “Parlay Betting” which
involves a bet between two or more individual wagers. This type of betting is primarily used in
race betting such on nascar events or horse racing. While in online games, this type of betting
isn’t really used as it is primarily focused on card games or slot betting.
The odds of winning a certain bet is determined in a ratio or proportion. One might say “I
have a 1:4 odds of winning the bet. This is used in almost all forms of gambling whether it’s
online or in real life. Alternatively, percents are commonly used in gambling as another way of
restating the odds of winning. You could say you have a 25% chance of winning instead of a 1:4
a chance. Another way percents and proportions are used are in “favor-betting”. You might see
an underdog team reward you more if you bet on them and they win. This rewards someone for
betting on a team with less odds of winning.
On the business side, gambling is a double edged sword. It is one of the top addictions
next to smoking and alcohol and can ruin your life just as much. However, there are several
worthwhile pros. All casinos generate massive revenue and give an enormous amount of jobs to
people. Casinos require intensive labor including security guards, technical support staff,
gaming staff, among others. In 1996, around 300,000 employees earned a total of US $7.7
billion within the US nation. Alternatively, gambling causes a massive amount in debt and
money loss. Think of just the lottery, the lottery is a form of gambling that takes an enormous
amount of money from the general public. Even though the odds are completely stacked against
you for winning the lottery it generates an enormous amount of money. Gamblers themselves
may suffer from depression and bankruptcy. Some may go into severe debt and suffer anxiety
because of it. The social costs to society are varied and include unemployment benefits, family
services and medical treatment to gamblers. Overall, gambling provides from almost stealing
from others. It is a way to win big or lose big. And the casino
owners know this too. Most casinos are built without
windows so you are tricked into never leaving and no clocks
so you never know what time it is. The entire goal of casinos
is to get you to lose as much money as possible and forget
about losing. Then comeback. And with competing casinos
in large cities like Las Vegas, it becomes almost a sport to attract customers in the most exotic
ways. In the end gambling is a huge business and is definitely isn’t a surprise that it is illegal in
most places.
Probability is probably the main thing people think about when it comes to gambling.
Whether professional or it’s your first time playing poker, one is gonna look at their probability of
winning in a given situation. This applies to anything. What’s the chance of getting a face card
for the straight. Or a 6 on the next roll. There is probability everywhere in a casino. Statistics are
used to add a benefit to whatever you're gambling on. If statistics show you will win with the
gamble then one is encouraged more to bid on that event.
There are also some interesting statistics for gambling. Like that only 30% walk away
from a casino winning money. Over 60% of gamblers prefer slot or online gambling than
traditional gambling styles. Many mathematicians consider the lottery the worst type of gambling
as the house reward is 50%. This means that if you win 50% of your earning is what you
actually get. Compared to other games this is an enormous increase and is deemed practically
unplayable when actually calculated.
One influential mathematician that was a gambler
was French prodigy Blaise Pascal. Known as the father
of probability, Blaise was an avid gambler and laid the
groundwork for what probability means within each
gamble. Today Pascal’s creation of the “Pascal
Triangle” (As seen to the left). This triangle showed
binomial coefficients where each previous number adds
to the one below it. 1+1 = 2 …. 1 + 3 = 4 … 1 + 4 = 5
etc… Without Blaise the world of probability in math
may have never been as defined as it is today.
The metric system to many Americans may seem like a joke on its own. But being the
only big nation that doesn’t use it definitely separates the U.S. from the world. However, in
gambling, the metric system isn’t really impacted. In races and some sports distance changes to
meters rather than miles/yards/feet. Also the currency is greatly impacted based off where you
live. Most casinos in other countries don’t allow you to spend American dollars within them.
However, one thing I found very interesting was what other countries gamble on. In America,
most people gamble in a poker setting like BlackJack or Texas Hold'em. However in countries
like Spain, the leading gambling activity is actually to bet on football (or soccer) matches. In
Australia, the average gambling loss per person is $1,200 in American dollars. On top of that,
Australia’s favorite game is surprisingly the slot machine.
Algebra is surprisingly one of the most
common “styles” of math that is used in general.
Specifically, for my major, game development.
Boolean algebra is the main mathematical skill we
use. It uses logic and ordering. Similar to the way in
math we use PEMDAS for our order of operations,
programmers use AND or OR statements. In
calculating odds we use boolean algebra. To the left
I included a boolean algebra chart known as “true
tables” which helps determine the odds of
something running or working in programming. However think about the probability when rolling
a six sided die. As seen on the next page, probability of rolling certain number has a shifting
possibility. Another thing that most gamblers do is use multiples or factors to find how much
money they need to make in order to profit. If you need to make $1000 profit, and you’re only
making $50 from the slot machine you’re on, you
would need to switch to a higher earning game in
order to make the goal you need a faster pace.
Finally, when using geometry in gambling
one must change factor the game they are
playing first. In roulette one must spin a wheel
and bet on what color or number the ball will end
on. In some way, geometry could be used to
calculate will the ball reach this color by the end
of the spin. If it goes around 5.25 times around the 360 degree circle that’s 90 degrees above
the starting point. If you can calculate that then you are no longer relying on luck when
gambling. Pool is another game that you can use geometry on. You’re creating an angle
between the stick, the ball as the conjoined edge, and the whole as the destination. How much
power and at what angle do I need to hit the ball in order to get it into the whole. Professional
pool players actually do this hit shots where the ball ricochets off several others before getting
into the hole. Overall, whether it’s the angle of a baseball player’s hit, or angle a bowler needs to
hit a pin to knock it over, geometry is used primarily by the player than the spectating gambler,
but if making a bet, could just earn you a win.
Overall, gambling is stem of mathematical principles. Probability and statistics are taken
into great consideration. Using math when gambling is both a smart application of skills and can
gain you a strong advantage over others. Throughout history and in the future math will always
be a fundamental and crucial part of society.
Works Cited:
http://www.gambling.net/history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling
https://support.skybet.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/37/~/fraction-and-decimal-pricing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics_of_gambling
https://www.gamblingsites.com/blog/7-statistics-about-gambling-you-need-to-become-familiar-wi
th-6836/
https://www.cnbc.com/2011/07/04/Worlds-Biggest-Gambling-Nations.html?slide=4
https://www.cnbc.com/2011/07/04/Worlds-Biggest-Gambling-Nations.html?slide=11
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