Uncovering the Truth of Underground Casinos

Casino gaming has fast become a favoured pastime, and since the introduction of online casino gaming, players have become more aware of games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, and craps. Now, with the surge of interest and many countries still having to change the governing laws regulating both online and land-based casino gaming, there are many underground casinos that we don’t know about. So, what are these underground casinos? Are they legal? Where are they? Uncovering the dark secrets of the underworld of casino gaming has been fun, thrilling, and incredibly enlightening. Find out everything there is to know about underground casinos and what they are.

What Are Underground Casinos?

Ultimately, underground casinos are illegal casinos that are set up for the use of popular casino games such as poker, roulette, craps, baccarat, and other popular table variants. Though most underground casinos are smaller and only temporary, some more organized, elite events are “pop-up” casinos. Though these are more sophisticated, they are still illegal.

What Makes a Casino An “Underground” Casino?

No matter the type of casino, whether it’s visually appealing or it is refined, if it is unlicensed, it is illegal thereby making it an underground casino. This is largely based on the laws and regulations pertaining to gambling in the state or country the player is accessing the casino games. Each country has laws, and while some are grey, most are explicit as to whether or not casino gaming is allowed.

The Appeal of Underground Casinos

While legitimate online casinos aren’t as quiet, remote, and secretive as underground casinos, this is exactly what makes them appealing. Generally, underground casino games and tournaments are arranged by professionals and attended by high rollers. This makes for a large pot, higher payouts, there are no limits, and players could even cheat if they knew how. This adds thrill as well as danger to the situation of being caught in the underworld of illegal gambling clubs.

Furthermore, there is the “live casino gaming” effect and cause. Players are able to gamble with alike minded players, bet on higher limits, and share strategies and advice. Both online and land-based casino gambling holds appeal. Back in 2020, an estimated 200,000 people used to gamble illegally at various casino sites. This is according to the British Gaming Council (BGC). Those numbers have risen and according to the last known survey, China had the most gambling revenue in 2021, ($46.01 billion). The numbers are only growing as more land-based and top online casinos are obtaining legal licenses.

When players get a taste for gambling, chances are that, should they not be permitted to do so in their home town, they will turn to the underworld of gambling. These types of entertainment dens are becoming increasingly popular, and don’t seem to lose their appeal as online gambling continues to thrive. In fact, it would appear that these gambling dens are becoming more appealing because of the high stakes, the crowd, and the exclusivity of the underground gambling dens.

Where Is Underground Gambling Going in 2023?

That is difficult to predict. What we can assume from the data pulled from recent searches from the internet’s leading statistics websites, is that the numbers only continue to grow, this goes for both land-based gaming and online. With this in mind, we can safely assume that underground casinos will not be going anywhere in a hurry.

With high rollers and exclusive clubs being readily available, it’s easy to see how exclusive poker games can be set up. Special VIP bars in Vegas may offer underground games for exclusive clients and players in the next room wouldn’t have a clue.

Can I Find an Underground Casino to Play At?

Because most underground casinos are illegal and unlicensed, finding an underground round of casino card games is harder than one would imagine. China, one of the biggest countries known for the vast majority of underground casinos, is strictly prohibited from advertising any gambling. This is coming from a place in the world where there are hundreds of underground casinos. Regardless, casino pit bosses, even the ones working for illegal establishments, need to uphold the casino’s reputation and keep players coming back. However, each of these players that frequent these illegal establishments runs the risk of being apprehended. Depending on the laws of the country, visitors to these legal establishments, ones that are playing with real money, could be apprehended. There is a high risk involved when playing at an underground casino and many authorities would advise against visiting the underworld of illegal gaming establishments.

What Should I Know About Legal Gambling?

To gamble responsibly and ensure that winnings are paid out, players would need to sign up with a legitimate online casino. This is because a casino, either an online one or a land-based one undergoes a series of testing to ensure that it deserves the license. This includes the payouts, the types of payment methods used, the safety and security of the casino, and whether or not fair play is encouraged. Unfortunately, unlicensed casinos and the ones that operate illegally, hold no water and no promise of paying out. The same could be said for the real money casinos that operate underground, however, it is slightly different here. When playing at elite events, players will need to produce the buy-in beforehand, much like an online casino. However, when you play online, you are playing with real cash and though the two are the same, there is no guarantee that you will get paid from an unlicensed casino online. However, at a land-based casino, it’s hard to run from the banker or the organizer. But this also adds an air of danger to the situation as not all gambling events are legal, and more often than not, the player doesn’t know the event organizer. These could be dangerous people and some even joke about “mob-organized events”.

In truth, underground casinos are both thrilling and terrifying. They are not recommended, but professional gambling enthusiasts have been known to frequent organized underground events. For example, Frank Sinatra had strong ties to the mafia and even owned his own casino. The Kray Twins, characters based on the movie Legend, also had ties to the underground world of land-based gambling and illegal activity. Matt Damon is also among the finer and more modern players who are whispered to have attended some underground poker events. In any event, it isn’t unheard of for the rich, famous, and even the working-class group have been known to enjoy gambling. It is only a question of when and where, but maybe more importantly was it as underground as we would like to imagine it is?!