Casinos are a glamorous, flashy place where you can roll dice and spin the reels for your fortune. They look like fun places to spend a Saturday night, with their twinkling lights and endless rows of games. But what most people don’t realize is that casinos are designed to trick you into gambling your money away.
By replacing cash with digital credits and by giving players a sense of excitement through sounds like coin drops and triumphant music, casinos create a manufactured state of euphoria to make gamblers feel compelled to stay and play. The fact that players are gambling with chips rather than actual money also helps to numb the emotional impact of losing and encourages them to bet more.
Similarly, casino designers are aware that a player’s judgement is weakened when they are inebriated. That’s why most casinos serve alcohol and are equipped with bartenders to keep the drinks flowing, making it easier for guests to linger and overspend. Casinos also often lack clocks and windows to further confuse players as to how much time has passed, increasing the chances of spur-of-the-moment decisions to continue gambling.
Finally, casinos strategically place essential amenities such as toilets and cash machines deep within the gaming area to ensure that players must walk past numerous slots and other tempting games in order to use them. This design, known as “deferred gratification,” increases the likelihood that players will be tempted to stay longer and make another bet while on their way to a bathroom break or snack run.