Why Online Casinos Rely So Much on the Luck of the Irish.

“Leprechauns” (CC BY 2.0) by redakuma

Australia might be known as “the lucky country” but there’s another nation that is even more closely associated with good fortune. For generations, the expression “the luck of the Irish” has been in common usage, often as an expression of admiration at the ease with which some Irish people, at least, make their fortunes.

One only has to look at a typical online casino in UK circles to discover that there are several slots that play around with the theme. These titles range from Rainbow Riches, which refers to the pot of gold supposed to be found at the end of a rainbow, to a series of different games under the umbrella title of Luck of the Irish. There’s even one called Gaelic Luck and what all have in common is the imagery and folklore that has always gone hand in hand with the supposed fortune of the country and its people.

Leprechauns a Common Theme at Online Casinos

Central to this is the legendary leprechaun. Most countries and cultures have sprites or other fairy-like creatures who can have an influence, good or bad, on the human world. Leprechauns are said to have an affinity with gold so are always on the lookout for where they can add to their wealth. Their “day job” is generally as cobblers and shoemakers and their cheeky nature makes them appealing characters that have earned a place of affection in the public consciousness. Needless to say, they make frequent appearances in the slots titles already mentioned.

“Four Leaf Clover 068” (CC BY 2.0) by cygnus921

Another symbol of Irish good fortune is the four-leaf clover. According to myth, finding one of these is a portent of good luck to come. This is because most clovers have only three leaves and the chances of finding a mutation with four leaves are estimated to be about 10,000:1. But this is also an example of where a myth can start to get confused. The actual symbol of Ireland is a shamrock, or seamróg in Irish, which only has three leaves and which is a distinctly different species to a four-leaf clover. Nevertheless, the link has been made and is unlikely to be broken, even if it’s botanically wrong.

History and the Gold Rush PLay a Big Part

A third reason why the Irish are associated with luck goes back to the American Gold Rush of the 1880s. It’s a nation that has long produced people willing to strike out into other parts of the world to seek their fortune and the first big emigrations across the Atlantic started in the mid 19th century. It was believed that it was because fortune smiled on the Irish that they made so many big finds when panning for gold – although it may just be because they worked harder and searched for longer than other prospectors.

So all of these elements have combined to create an irresistible narrative in which the Irish have good fortune visited upon them and who even only need to kiss a magical stone to be able to speak wisely and eloquently.

Whether or not you believe in luck yourself, one thing is certain – it’s helped to create several of the world’ most popular slots games.

Cassian Paul

“Beer Geek. The Evil Ninja of Pop Culture. Life Coffee Scholar. Professional Internet Teacher. Meat Teacher.”