Participants in a luck experiment at the University of Nevada Consciousness Research Laboratory were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their beliefs toward luck. The results showed a distinct split. One group responded along the same lines as Webster's definition. The second group responded that luck is something an individual can control, much like the adage of 'you can create your own reality'. These people believed that luck is a residue of hard work, or luck is simply an opportunity that one siezes as opposed to waiting for luck to mysteriously present itself without effort or merit. Besides psychokinesis potentially influencing the fall of dice, there is another prospect: If one can precognize or perceive the outcome of an event before it takes place, the possibility arises to roll the dice at a 'favorable' time. That is, if you were able to precognize the outcomes of tossing the dice at time A and at time B, you could optimize your future winnings by always selecting the most favorable time (A or B) to toss the dice.
Those who visit places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas wish for that big win yet few come home with any substantial prizes. If it is possible to control dice or precognize the outcome of a card game, why aren't more people successful in doing so? One reason is undoubtedly the casino environment. The studies of psychokinesis, or mind affecting matter carried out in parapsychological research suggest that concentration is potentially an important factor for PK to occur.
Casinos are notorious for their distractions and make it difficult to concentrate amongst the sounds of slot machines, the abundance of free alcohol and scantily clad men and women. Also, the noise level in most casinos is extraordinarily high. Along with the anxiety of losing hard earned money, these factors contribute to an environment which is highly non-conducive for paying attention to what seems to be a subtle, intuitive hunch. For games which involve dice (Craps) or small balls (Roulette or Bingo), PK could potentially be initiated to control the fall of the dice or the roll of the balls. However, given the casino environment, one's concentration toward this objective could easily be diverted.
Another facet to research on luck is to better understand what luck means to people. According to Max Gunther, author of The Luck Factor (1977, McMillan, NY, NY.), a person who wins a state lottery rejoices in their good fortune, and may attribute their win to good luck. But the lottery officials see the winner as simply another recipient of a random event. After all, lotteries are designed so someone will win, regardless of how lucky the winner happened to feel that day. Many people tend to define luck in relation to winning money, but it can also take on many disguises.