The Casino is a place for gamblers of all kinds, from the weekend getaway crowd to the high-rollers with money to burn. It’s a thrill to bet on blackjack, double down in Texas hold ’em, or spin the slot machines. But there’s something else going on beneath the flashing lights and free cocktails. Casinos are designed to be addictive, with every sound, light, and physical design tricked to lead you into spending your money. Here are nine ways casinos lure their customers in and then get them to spend more money.
It’s a familiar scene: you stride into the Luxor, Mohegan Sun, or Tropicana brimming with confidence and a wallet filled with cash, planning for a little enjoyable gaming and perhaps two rounds of drinks before heading out. Hours later you have no idea what time it is, how many drinks you’ve had, or where your money went. It happens to everyone, but there’s a reason you won’t see clocks or windows on the casino floor: they want you to lose track of time so that you keep playing.
From the moment you walk through the doors of a casino, everything about it is intended to distract you from your reality. Bright colors, flashing lights, and music assault your senses, but you’re not distracted for long because there’s always a table to sit at, a slot machine to play, or a poker game to join. Then you’re hit with the smell of cigarettes and an unmistakable, inescapable buzz.
Booze is the lubricant that keeps people gambling. In addition to its natural calming effects, it lowers inhibitions and clouds judgment, which is exactly what casinos need to make their profits. The drinks flow freely and nonstop, delivered to patrons at the tables, in front of the slots, or in the midst of horse-racing action. Casinos know that the more drunk their patrons are, the more they’ll spend.
As if the drinks weren’t enough, casino floors are designed to be labyrinthine, with no straight aisles leading to the exit and lots of distractions tucked away in the corners. The layout is deliberately confusing, and the acoustics are designed to make it hard to hear your companions over the noise of all those spinning reels and cheering fans.
Few movies do a better job of showing what Vegas is all about than Martin Scorsese’s Casino. While other films may only glamorize the city by focusing on partying and weekend getaways, Casino goes deeper, showing how the mafia lost control of a city that was minting billions in the form of gambling revenue. The movie is a true history lesson on how Vegas works. And it’s a story worth telling. It’s one of the few movies that capture the true essence of Vegas and how it continues to reinvent itself. Even the most jaded individual can’t help but be mesmerized.