Although online casino games are bound to chance and house edge, many players across the globe have found a way around game predictions.  Many Hollywood movies have depicted the curiosity that peeks humans into trying to predict game outcomes in the hopes of winning. The Hollywood Blockbuster 21, starring Keving Spacey tells the story of a group of students being led by a Maths professor, and being taught the art of card counting. The movie is indeed a true story and tells the tale of Bill Kaplan a Harvard med student leading a team of Blackjack card counting towards winning big.  

So, what taunts punters to try and cheat their way when wagering on sporting events or playing online casino games?  Winning! Taking home a big win is always on a punter's mind, yet what is the difference between land based gambling and online gambling?  Can you predict the outcome of both? 

Online vs Land Based Gambling

Online casinos have a legal obligation to test their games for fairness. To uphold a gambling license such as the MGA or the UKGC, casinos need to have their games certified by bodies such as eCorga. In South Africa this is done by the local provincial regulator. The company checks the games for RTP (Return to Player %) performance, with the games tested before they are released to the public. Game testing audits happen annually, with the gameplay needed to be a fair one at all times. Having said that, it is hard to predict the outcome of games online. Adiela from onlinecasino-southafrica.co.za mentioned that she has never heard of any successful prediction or cheating. While there have been attempts, all were detected, as online games are strictly monitored.

Land Based offers a different approach to gambling. When visiting a land casino, punters often revert to card counting to secure wins. Other traits used at land casinos include hand mucking (switching cards), or collusion (when the dealer and the player are friendly and cheat together to secure specific game outcomes). The latter is a very popular way to predict the outcome in games, with the dealer and the player splitting the wins at the end. The loading dice technique is another popular scheme used by punters to secure wins. The player would need to exchange dice with heavier dice when playing, with the heavier dice prompting the dice to land on specific numbers. This technique is hard to pull, yet done at many casinos across the globe. 

Predicting the Scores in Sports 

Sports is a complex activity that is only reserved for the mighty. Professional athletes dedicate their lives to the sport, training round to clock to be in the best form and shape. Whilst athletes do love the sport, it is still a job that will grant a salary at the end of the month. Many times in sports, players get tangled into illicit activities that will see the player lose or win for a bribe.  This activity happens in many sports across the globe, including football and boxing. 

A recent boxing exhibition that happened in 2025, drew over 70 million in viewership. Why? Because of the status of the boxers and also the streaming platform of the event. The event saw both fighters take home millions, with one fighter stating that he was offered a staggering amount of money to lose the fight. 

The early 2000s rocked the Italian Serie A football scene when Calciopoli was unfolded. It was reported that Football managers were bribing football referees to secure wins and favourable outcomes during matches. The event saw many top teams being stripped of their accolades and titles, with other teams such as Juventus also relegated to lower football divisions. This was a viable way to predict the outcome of specific sporting events, but definitely illegal and demoralising for the losing teams. 

Cheating during the NFL Leagues

During the 2007 football season, the New England Patriots were accused and convicted of taping opponents defense signals. This practice gave the Patriots a major advantage in predicting the movement of their opponents. The event was dubbed Spygate and saw the team being relegated from 1st to 31st place in the 2008 draft, along with the team’s head coach facing a hefty $500,000 fine. During the investigation, probe officials stormed the Patriots training grounds, and destroyed all of the tapes that the team had filmed.  Imagine if the common folk, us, were able to see these tapes, or knew of the knowledge that the Patriots had over their opponents. That gives any punter a significant edge in placing successful bets and winning. 

Cheating during the Olympic Games

During the 1976 Olympics fencer Boris Onischenko’s sword was replaced with a rigged one that secured his wins. After winning to British fencer Adrian Parker, the next opponent Jeremy Fox complained that Onischenko’s sword was registering hits even when hits were not landing. The Soviet fencer was disqualified from the event, with his previous accolades put into question. Imagine having that knowledge before the sporting event and placing a sizable bet on the fencer. If Boris was not found out on the day, he could have cheated his way towards more golden glory. 

Another common way for athletes to cheat includes the usage of performance enhancing drugs. This was the case for 3 British athletes during the 1992 Summer Olympics. During the 2000 Olympics the women’s gymnastics events were also tainted with the fact that the Vault was placed at 5cm lower than the standard height. 

Final Thoughts 

If you are placing bets at a sports betting site and have knowledge of illicit operations, chances are, your online bets will be successful. To have this type of winning success, you would need to be an insider and know all of the scoops surrounding athletes and sporting teams.

Card counting at Blackjack tables still happens to this day, however, you would need to have a solid Mathematical background to count cards, and also an impressive memory. Still, the old trick is still something done to date, with many land based casinos hoping to catch the small fish in the ocean. 

When gambling online, the odds are not much in your favour in predicting the outcome of games. Playing at an online Blackjack table you cannot count cards, due to the fact that games are tested for fairness and random number generators.  When playing online, you need to purely rely on luck and managing your bankroll wisely. You cannot predict the outcome of online games, but you can definitely enjoy the games if you have good game knowledge. Knowledge and luck, always go hand in hand.