How Casinos Keep Gamblers on the Premises
In Casino, Martin Scorsese has crafted a layered masterpiece of crime and corruption. The movie portrays the darker side of Vegas and lays bare its long ties with organized crime. But it also shows the opulence and neon signs that attract people to the desert city.
It’s important to remember that casinos are businesses, not charitable organizations giving away free money. Even though they are a fun and exciting place to gamble, the odds are that players will lose money in the long run. In fact, studies have shown that only about 13.5% of all gamblers walk out winners.
However, casinos do not want to lose their customers, so they employ a number of psychological tactics to keep them on the premises and spending their hard-earned money. For example, casinos often don’t have clocks or windows so that players lose track of time and stay playing longer. They also offer complimentary drinks to lure in new customers and keep existing ones coming back for more.
Some casinos use scented oils in their ventilation systems to create a manufactured feeling of blissfulness and keep people gambling. Others play up the sound of slot machines to make them more appealing to potential customers. Others use “near-miss” strategies, wherein a machine pays out a small amount near a large win to encourage the player to continue betting.
