Is Friday the 13th Your Lucky Day?

Gambling on Lucky 13: Online casinos expect influx this Friday the 13^th

Throughout history, many cultures have deemed the number 13 to be unlucky. In the western hemisphere especially, 13 is seen as a bad omen in everyday life. For superstitious gamblers, however, it can be the perfect luck charm.

In fact, so many gamblers love the number 13, land-based and online casinos are anticipating an influx of patronage. Why? Because it’s Friday the 13^th, of course! It will be a few more months (July 13, 2018) before gamblers get another chance to try their luck on this most auspicious of days.

Fear of Friday the 13th

Who decided that 13 was such a bad number to begin with? Why is it considered so unlucky in other facets of life, yet favorable in the gambling realm? The superstition that 13 is a minacious number dates back thousands of years.

Many believe it comes from Biblical times. Judas is said to have appeared as the 13^th person at the Last Supper, shortly before betraying Jesus, who was believed to be crucified on a Friday.

Maybe it’s the legends of the Norse Gods that brought about the theory. Loki, notorious betrayer of Asgard, was said to be the 13^th God. He’s also said to be the 13^th mourner to arrive are the funeral of Balder, after allegedly arranging Balder’s death in the first place.

Going further back to around 1800 BC, the Babylonian Dynasty may have been influenced by the ominous number as well. One of the most ancient law codes known to man, the Hammurabi, didn’t have a 13^th law. It went straight from 12 to 14, with no explicable reason for it.

The negative association with Friday and 13 can also be connected to one fateful day in history, Friday, October 13, 1307. That was the day the Knight Templar Order fell to the hands of King Phillip of France. Fearing their growing strength and financial might, he had them all executed that day.

In numerology, 13’s unlucky connotations are centered around the mere fact that it follows the number 12; considered the most “complete” of all numbers. There were 12 Apostles of Jesus, 12 Gods of Olympus, 12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Labors of Hercules, 12 Signs of the Zodiac, 12 months in a year, etc. And since 13 falls just beyond the realm of a complete 12, it simply became unlucky.

The fear of 13 is so prominent in some cultures, it actually earned its own medical term; Triskaidekaphobia.

Gambling on Lucky 13

In other cultures, especially Italy and China, 13 is a very lucky number. Gamblers in these regions thrive on Friday the 13^th. Even in cultures where 13 is taboo in other circumstances, for many it’s a good lucky charm at the casinos.

Time and again, I’ve seen avid gamblers at the slot machines, blackjack or roulette tables wearing a charm bracelet with a #13 charm dangling from it. For most, the superstition is that the number 13 will actually ward off, or reverse, bad luck.

So if you’re the superstitious type looking for something to do on this Friday the 13^th, consider visiting the local gambling hall, or logging into one of your favorite online casinos. You’ll be joining countless others, gambling on lucky 13 on this most propitious of days.