Unprecedented Gambling Anomaly: When The House Lost In April 2017

Everybody knows that in the gambling business, the house always wins. That’s how it’s supposed to go, anyway. But in a shocking revelation, casino billionaire Steve Wynn disclosed that April 2017 was an extraordinary exception to this rule. During a conference call reported by Bloomberg, he described a situation that is typically deemed impossible in the high-stakes gambling world. Wynn stated, “We had probably the most unique statistical anomaly in my 50 years of doing this. And that is with enormous volume, one of our leading outlets lost money for the entire month.”

According to Wynn, his Wynn Palace casino in Macau faced a staggering $10 million loss for the month of April. This was surprising, especially considering that monthly profits in casinos can soar to as high as $50 million. This financial anomaly was partly due to the casino's practice of employing “junket operators.” These operators are responsible for bringing in high-rollers who are often provided with front money, private rooms, and other luxurious amenities. The casino pays these operators based on how much these high-stakes players bet, while it remains on the hook for any winnings the players may achieve.

In this particular case, Suncity Group was the junket operator involved. Wynn noted that all the baccarat players had an extraordinary streak of good luck during that month, leading to significant payouts. He remarked, “The bottom fell out and all of the players won millions of dollars.” Baccarat is renowned for offering some of the best odds, attracting the most daring bettors in the industry. Yet, as Robert Hannum, a professor of risk and gaming at the University of Denver, pointed out, such scenarios are extremely rare. He said, “The odds are astronomically high. Of course, black swans do occur, and some might say that anything can happen in the casino business.”

The house advantage in baccarat is quite modest, at just 1.2 percent. This means that, over time, a gambler can expect to lose an average of $1.20 for every $100 wagered. To put this into perspective, some slot machines can drain as much as $12 in that scenario. Wynn’s recent experience with baccarat illustrates that even the house can take a hit from time to time, ultimately keeping players returning for more excitement!