As part of the Gamblers Pro ‘Ask Us Anything’ series, we’re answering the question “Is the Martingale system banned?” We received this question from Sherley in the UK, who claims she recently had a bonus revoked when she used the Martingale roulette strategy. We won’t name the casino in question, but we will answer Sherley’s question.
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First – What is the Martingale System?
For those of you who aren’t already aware, the Martingale system is a popular betting system most commonly used in roulette. Although some people do use it in blackjack, and it can even be used in football and financial betting, we’re talking about the Martingale roulette system today. Players use it one the best high stakes roulette casinos as well as at penny casinos.
How does the Martingale system work? Part of its appeal is its simplicity – you simply double your previous bet until you win. Theoretically, in the end, you’ll win back everything you’ve lost plus your original stake.
Here’s an example of the Martingale system in action. Let’s say we are betting on red or black.
Bet One: Player bets £1 on red and loses. Total losses = £1.
Bet Two: Player bets £2 on black and loses. Total losses = £3.
Bet Three: Player bets £4 on red and loses. Total losses = £7.
Bet Four: Player bets £8 on red and win. Total wins = £16.
So, you’ll win back everything you’ve lost (£7), plus your current stake (£8), plus your original stake (£1), for a total of £16.
Now that you know how the Martingale system works in online roulette, let’s answer Sherley’s question.
Is the Martingale System Banned?
We’ve reviewed plenty of online casinos on this site, and played at hundreds more. We’ve used the Martingale system at many of them, and we have never yet been banned or suspended for doing so.
Do you want to know why? It’s because the Martingale system doesn’t work in the long term. It’s a ‘get in and get out’ strategy, and while it can lead to short term profits, you will still lose in the long run.
There are two simple reasons for this:
Table Limits. Eventually, you’ll run into them. Even when playing high stakes roulette, you will come up against a table limit eventually. When you do, you won’t be able to double your previous bet and the Martingale system will be rendered useless.
Roulette odds. The human mind is a funny thing. We believe that because it has come out black x amount of times in a row, a red is ‘due’. Yet, you have the same odds of winning any red or black, or any other roulette bet you choose to make, on any spin. The Martingale system does not change the odds in online roulette one iota.
There are lots of Martingale system success stories on the internet. Take them with a pinch of salt. There’s a good chance they’re either marketing ploys by online casinos, or they are stories written by lucky roulette players who won in spite of the Martingale system and not because of it.
The same goes for the reverse Martingale strategy. None of these roulette systems work because you can’t beat roulette with anything other than luck.
Does the Martingale system work? No. Is it banned? Also no – at least not at any legitimate online casinos we are aware of. Why would they ban something that’s no threat to them?
So, Why Did Sherley’s Bonus Get Revoked?
Sherley, we highly recommend you don’t play roulette at the casino which revoked your bonus again. It sounds to us like they were looking for an excuse to not pay your winnings. While you didn’t say if you were up money or down, we’d guess that you were winning, and this casino has made up an excuse not to pay you.
There’s no reason whatsoever why the Martingale system should be banned. Since it doesn’t help you as a player and isn’t even a proper roulette strategy, the probability is that there was something in the terms and conditions that prohibited using bonus money for even money bets. Still, it seems harsh to ban you and revoke your bonus just for that. We’d have a look at some other online casinos instead.
Until the next instalment in our ‘Ask Us Anything’ series, play safe, and may lady luck be with you.
Greg has been an avid gambler for over 15 years. He loves slot machines and betting on football. He’s been writing on the subject for close to a decade now and knows everything there is to know about video slots, jackpots, and slot sites in general! He has been writing for GamblersPro.com for over five years now.
