Introduction

Generally speaking, superstitious beliefs are also associated with astrological beliefs which play an important part in many people’s social behavior. Those online bingo palyers who hold to astrological beliefs tend to be more likely to be superstitious as online bingo players than non-astrological believers.

An example of this would be that those who hold astrological beliefs are more likely not to put new shoes on a table, not to walk under ladders, to touch wood, and to be more generally superstitious while playing bingo.

With regards to their actual bingo playing style, superstitious players are more likely to believe in lucky numbers and change dobbers to influence any runs of bad luck. There is also a tendency to believe in a lucky friend when playing team online bingo.

Definition of Gambling Astrology

‘Gambling astrology’ can be defined as a methodology that helps a bingo player (or any player of games of chance) determine what is the correct time to take a gambling risk. People who practice gambling astrology believe holding to this methodology doesn’t necessarily guarantee being a winner, but will increase the odds of gambling success.

Overview of Gambling Astrology Methodology

The use of astrology in gambling is linked into what astrologers call the Fifth House or the House of Speculation. Planetary alignments and transits in this House are key to this area of astrology and gamblers looking to increase their chances of winning want to be influenced by this House.

The Fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are also important due to their identification with risk-friendly traits. Gamblers who come under or have a fire element in their astrological chart are perceived to be particularly blessed. Those under the Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn tend to be the most risk-averse. Gambling astrology methodology will dissuade gamblers from taking risks when these signs play a part in their charts.

On the planetary side of things, Jupiter is identified as the Planet of Expansion, Luck and Good Fortune. For most people utilizing gambling astrology, a chart showing Jupiter transiting the Fifth House is a definite indication it is the right time to take a risk. Various alignments of other planets can influence risks with Mars signifying an easy come, easy go set of influences and Saturn unlikely to yield any rewards.

Other examples are Uranus’ tendency to warn of expecting the unexpected and Neptune’s association with wild speculation. Pluto represents the biggest risk factor of them all.

Bingo, Astrology and an Illusion of Control

In a comprehensive study of superstition and its impact on bingo players Mark D. Griffiths and Carolyn Bingham of Nottingham Trent University noted a distinct tendency amongst avid and ‘heavy’ bingo players to be “…more likely to believe in fate, be more superstitious while playing bingo, be more likely to have a lucky friend, be more likely to have a lucky seat, and be more likely to believe that some numbers are lucky/unlucky. . .�

An important part of their study points to a statistic that shows 27% of bingo players “thought bingo was a game of chance while 73% considered bingo to be a game of luck.� The authors point to this as possible support for the notion that, while ‘chance’ is seen by gamblers as unpredictable (Wagenaar, 1988), then ‘luck’ is perceived by gamblers as controllable (Weiner, 1986). Following this notion to its conclusion suggests that bingo players who treat bingo as a game of luck are suseptable to being led into an illusion of control (Langer, 1983) over their bingo game.

Utilising gambling astrology methodology is, therefore, to be seen as a tool in aiding illusion of control where illusion of control has been defined as the belief that probability can be manipulated by “game-play� techniques. In this case ‘astrology’ can be substituted for ‘game-play’.

Conclusion

Gambling astrology and its application to bingo and online bingo is most likely to be utilized by those bingo players exhibiting a strong illusion of control. The preponderance towards issues of ‘fate’ by such players point to an underlying belief that bingo is more than just a game of chance and that its outcomes can be influenced by external properties, i.e. the movement and transits of planets. Knowledge of these planetary movements then become a central platform in the methodology of this belief (astrology) and subsequently account for an entirely separate area of superstition.

For a more comprehensive look at astrology and its application to gambling from an astrologer’s persepective, refer here:
http://www.luckydays.tv/real_astrology.html

References

Dixey, R. A. (1987). It’s a great feeling when you win: Women and bingo. Leisure Studies, 6, 199–214.

Jahoda, G. (1971). The psychology of superstition. Middlesex, U.K.: Penguin Books.

King, K. M. (1990). Neutralizing marginally deviant behavior: Bingo players and superstition. Journal of Gambling Studies, 6, 43–61.

Langer, E. J. (1983). The psychology of control. London: Sage.

Marmor, J. (1956). Some observations on superstitions in contemporary life. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 26, 119–130.

Skinner, B. F. (1948). “Superstition” in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology,38, 168–172.

Thalbourne, M. A. (1997). Paranormal belief and superstition: How large is the association? Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 91, 221–226.

Vyse, S. A. (1997). Believing in magic: The psychology of superstition. New York: Oxford University Press.

Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). Paradoxes of gambling behaviour. London: Erlbaum.

Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

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