In 1992, Archie Karas walked into a Las Vegas casino with $50 in his pocket. Over the next three years, he turned that into $40 million, a run so legendary it became known as “The Run.” He was a skilled poker and pool player, yes. But even Karas, with his years of experience, couldn’t outrun luck forever. By 1995, he lost it all. A mix of bad decisions and bad cards brought him crashing back down.

Luck and skill have always coexisted uneasily in casinos, whether you’re playing a hand of blackjack, spinning a roulette wheel, or betting on a horse. Some games reward strategy, others are pure chance, and most sit somewhere in between. A player’s success often depends on how well they understand this balance. Reputable casinos, such as Betway, cater to both types of gamblers. Their platform offers everything from games of pure luck—slots and roulette—to skill-based options like poker and blackjack, as well as a sportsbook where statistical knowledge and strategy can tilt the odds slightly in a bettor’s favor. But no matter how good a player is, they can’t escape one fundamental truth: the house always has an edge.

Games of Pure Luck

Some casino games give players no control over the outcome. Take slots, for example. Every spin is dictated by a Random Number Generator (RNG), ensuring results are completely unpredictable. You could win big on your first spin or lose twenty times in a row. The machine doesn’t know, doesn’t care, and doesn’t owe anyone a jackpot.

Roulette is another example. You pick a number, a color, or a combination, and the wheel spins. The ball lands where it lands. There’s no strategy beyond managing your bets—no amount of expertise will change the physics of a spinning wheel. The same applies to lotteries and scratch cards. These games thrive on randomness. You’re either lucky, or you’re not.

Games Where Skill Matters

On the other end of the spectrum are games where experience, strategy, and knowledge can improve your odds. Poker is the best example. Professional players don’t just rely on good hands; they outthink their opponents, bluff at the right time, and read subtle tells. Skill doesn’t guarantee victory in every hand, but over time, a strong player will consistently outperform a weaker one.

Blackjack is another game where skill plays a role. Unlike roulette or slots, players can make decisions that influence the outcome. Basic strategy—knowing when to hit, stand, double down, or split—reduces the house edge significantly. Some players take this further by counting cards, a technique that, when done well, can flip the advantage in the player’s favor. But casinos know this too, and they don’t take kindly to it.

The In-Between Games

Then there are games that blend luck and skill. Sports betting, for instance, is not just about picking a team and hoping for the best. Serious bettors analyze statistics, study past performances, and understand factors like injuries, weather conditions, and team morale. A knowledgeable bettor has a better chance of making profitable wagers than someone who bets blindly. But still, a freak goal, a last-minute fumble, or a referee’s decision can undo even the best-researched bet.

Baccarat and craps also fall into this mixed category. While both games are driven by chance, understanding betting strategies and house edges can help players make smarter choices. In craps, for example, certain bets have far lower house edges than others. In baccarat, knowing when to bet on the banker, the player, or a tie can affect the outcome over a long session.

Why Luck Always Wins in the Long Run

Even in games where skill matters, luck still plays a role. A poker pro can’t control which cards come up. A blackjack player can follow basic strategy perfectly and still lose ten hands in a row. The randomness of short-term results is why casinos continue to thrive, even when facing skilled players.

The house edge ensures that over time, the casino always comes out ahead. That’s not a conspiracy—it’s just math. In roulette, for example, a straight bet on a single number pays 35 to 1, but there are 37 (or 38) numbers on the wheel. The casino keeps that slight edge on every spin. In blackjack, even when playing perfect strategy, the house still holds a slim advantage. In poker, though players compete against each other rather than the house, the casino still profits through rake—a small percentage taken from every pot.

Can You Beat the Casino?

Technically, yes. In the short term, anyone can win. That’s what keeps people playing. But over thousands of bets, the house edge does what it’s designed to do: grind down a player’s bankroll. The exceptions are rare. Skilled poker players can make a living because they play against other players, not the house. Blackjack card counters, if they aren’t caught, can tip the odds slightly in their favor. Sports bettors who specialize in arbitrage betting—placing bets on all possible outcomes across different bookmakers—can turn a consistent profit. But these are the exceptions, not the rule.

Most players are better off accepting that gambling is entertainment, not an investment strategy. The best approach is to play games you enjoy, set limits, and never chase losses. Winning is possible. But relying on it? That’s where trouble starts.

Having Fun Above All Else

Luck and skill both have their place in casino games. Some games, like slots and roulette, are pure chance. Others, like poker and blackjack, reward strategy and experience. But even the most skilled players can’t escape luck entirely. In the end, the casino always has the edge, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun along the way.

FAQs

Can skill completely eliminate luck in gambling?
No. Even in games where skill plays a big role, like poker or blackjack, luck still affects short-term results.

Are there casino games where skill doesn’t matter at all?
Yes. Slots, roulette, and lotteries are completely random. No strategy can change the odds in your favor.

Is it possible to make a living gambling?
Only a small percentage of people do. Professional poker players and skilled sports bettors can turn a profit, but most gamblers will lose over time due to the house edge.

Do casinos ban skilled players?
Casinos don’t like card counters or professional advantage players. If you’re too good at blackjack, you may be asked to leave or have your betting limits restricted.

Image Credit: Microsoft 365 from Unsplash.

The entertainment industry is always in-demand, and more money flows into it every year. To say it can be a lucrative industry to work in would be an understatement. You could even start an entertainment business and end up making quite a bit of money with it. You’ll need to know what you’re doing with this, though.

As appealing as starting one off can be, it can be a difficult and stressful process. There’s a lot of competition and quite a bit can go wrong.

Then there’s figuring out the intricacies of actually running a business long-term and leading it to success. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be impossible. You just need to know what you’re doing from the start. More than a few tips and tricks can help with this.

Five specific tips could help you start an entertainment business that sees more and more success in time.

Decide on a Category & Niche

There are countless types of entertainment business you can start. While you might already have an idea of what you want to do, it’s still worth considering each of your options. Each category or type could offer more than a few pros and cons, which is why they’re worth thinking about.

Between focusing on movies, television shows, podcasts, or other areas, you’ll have more options than you might’ve thought. Each option could even come with its unique complications and benefits. Spend some time researching each of them and figuring out which one’s best for you. You’ve no reason not to.

Develop a Business Plan

A business plan can often be an essential document to create before you actually start an entertainment business. It can be vital for companies in most industries. This is a comprehensive outline of how you plan on running your business long-term. It’ll include quite a bit of information about your business.

Market research, sales and marketing strategies, and similar areas should all be covered in this. Putting this business plan together could be a noticeable part of getting any outside funding you could need. Make sure you spend a decent bit of time and effort on it from the start.

Invest in Tools

You’ll need more than a few tools to help you run your entertainment business. Some of these will be related to the creative side, like a screenplay generator, while others focus on the business side. These can include accounting software and more than a few other options. Make sure you have what you need.

While that means spending a bit of money on them, it’ll be more than worth it. They’ll help you make sure you can run your business and take care of various tasks without a lot of time and effort. It’ll make managing everything much more straightforward.

Know Your Costs

Speaking of investing in tools, this will be one of your notable startup costs. It’s far from the only one you’ll need to worry about. You’ll have more than a few of them. Some of these will just be at the start, while you’ll have more than a few recurring costs, too. Make sure you’re aware of these.

State and federal registration fees, equipment, and similar options will be part of your startup costs. Then there’ll be payroll, office rental, business internet, and more that you’ll have to pay regularly. Know exactly what your costs are so you can budget for them as time goes on.

Get Insurance

Every business is legally obligated to get insurance, no matter what industry they’re in. You should know that already and be considering getting the most basic insurance you can. This isn’t often the best path to take, though. You’ll barely protect your business against anything that could come up with it.

You’re much better off actually investing in comprehensive insurance. It’ll help make sure you’re as protected as possible if any unforeseen surprises come up later on. While this are unlikely to happen, there’s no reason not to protect yourself against them as much as you can.

You’ll have plenty of reasons to start an entertainment business. It’s not a process you should just dive into and rush through, though. You’ll need to make sure you start it off the right way. Once you do, you’re better poised to see much success later on.

More than a few startup tips can help with this, with some standing out more than others. By putting the time and effort into them, you should have a much better chance of seeing long-term success.