Like anyone else, Adam knew what a casino was. He had seen countless times how characters in movies and TV shows would go to a casino and immediately hit the jackpot.
But he was old enough to understand that it was all just a fairy tale. The chances of a person winning the jackpot were hundreds of times smaller than the chances of that person becoming a Phantom, which could potentially bring in much more money.
Still, there were always lucky ones who managed to become one in a million. Their luck was incomparable, or... did it still not make any sense?
āHah, when you think about it, the chance of hitting the jackpot is less than becoming a Phantom, but that wonāt protect you from the World Wipe. Although... Whatās more likely, reaching my level or taking all the money from this casino with me?
While Adam was thinking, Silvana walked beside him and looked at the yellow chips. Each chip is worth 100 credits, so since they paid 10,000 credits for admission, they had a hundred of these chips.
Naturally, since it was a casino, anyone could replenish their account at any time. The casino had more payment options than even a large bank. Where else but here?
Only if a person spent all their money or became violent would the casino employees intervene and stop that person.
"Well, I donāt really blame the casinos for that." Adam shrugged, looking at the dozens of slot machines in front of him. "If they have so much luxury and money, despite offering top-notch service, then it means that people are satisfied and they bring their money here themselves."
Sure, every casino had a few so-called whales, who were basically people who had too much money and didnāt know what to do with it. These people would come to the casino, lose a few hundred thousand or even millions, smoke a cigar in irritation, and leave. All to come back a few days later and repeat the process.
However, there were very few such rich people, and for them, losing a few million was not a big deal.
Basically, the casinos made their profits on the thousands of ordinary people who came in hoping to win a few hundred credits and ended up losing a few thousand. This rule worked for all types of casinos, both elite ones like this one and the most ordinary ones.
"So, what shall we do first? Maybe poker? Blackjack? Regular roulette or how about craps?" Silvana asked. She wanted to try everything, but she wasnāt sure where to start.
Adam was in the same situation.
"Hah, I have a feeling we need a guide to understand whatās going on here. How about starting with slot machines? Thatās the first thing I thought of when you mentioned the casino."
Silvana nodded. "Hah, youāre already starting to like it. Thatās what I was talking about."
Adam waved his hand as they headed for a random slot machine that was free.
"Donāt you think youāre being too optimistic? I mean, Iām grateful that because Iām a Phantom we have enough money, but the bitterness of defeat will stay with me for a long time."
Silvana rolled her eyes and sat him down on a chair in front of the slot machine.
"Iām not going to listen to this anymore." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe youāre the one whoās too pessimistic? Iām a realist. I know you can lose at a casino, just like you can win!"
Then, she handed him a chip with a menacing stare.
"Come on, we canāt win if we donāt start playing."
To their right sat a middle-aged man who had been trying to win something on his slot machine for some time. Hearing their conversation, he couldnāt hold back his laughter.
"Hahahahaha, excuse me, but itās obvious that this is your first time in a casino."
Adam turned around.
"Yeah, by the way, it was her idea." He pointed to Silvana over his shoulder. "I know that by coming here, we have only one fate ā to lose a mountain of money."
Silvana frowned as the man laughed even harder.
"Hahaha! Young man, your attitude is correct, but your girlfriend is right, you need a little more faith. Iāve been playing at this casino for a year and a half, and once I had a pretty big win!"
Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Jackpot?"
The man shook his head.
"Nah, Iām not that lucky. However, I managed to hit a rare combination, right on this slot machine! Now I always play only here! Itās my lucky spot! Hah, just imagine, I bet 1,000 credits and won 155,000!"
However, Adam was not impressed. He expected to hear something like that.
He had a question:
"Wait, if this slot machine has already paid out a pretty big win, wouldnāt it be more logical to play on another one? I mean, youāve already taken the winnings from this slot machine, so all you can hope for in that case is the jackpot, right?"
The man was about to respond, his eyes shining brightly as he was ready to talk about his other winnings, but...
"Argh?"
Adamās question caught him off guard. For a few moments, the man froze, not knowing what to say.
"Hmm..." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "How strange, I never thought about that. Itās like finding all the gold in a mine. Thereās no point in digging here anymore, because all that awaits you is dirt and stone!"
However, the man wasnāt upset. He slung his bag over his shoulder, got up, and waved his hand.
"Thanks for your help! Iām going to look for a really lucky slot machine! Youāll see, soon Iāll be the one to hit the jackpot!"
Adam smiled and sighed heavily.
"Heās probably lost way more than heās won, right?"
Silvana nodded, looking at the man appraisingly.
"Yeah, he looks like a lawyer. Iāve seen dozens like him. But, enough wasting time on others, we came here to win!"
"Alright, alright, I hear you." Adam nodded as he inserted a chip into the slot.
Then, he reached for the lever.
"If we lose less than 50%, Iāll consider it a win!"