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Tactics Casinos Use to Keep You Gambling

Gambling machines and casino games aren’t the only things designed to be as alluring as possible — casinos keep you gambling for long periods of time by employing a wide array of psychological and mental tactics. But how do casinos keep people gambling when they know they’ve already spent a lot of cash? Here’s an overview of three of the most prominent methods casino owners use to make more money off gamblers.

Deliberate Building Design

The ways casinos keep you gambling start as soon as you step foot inside the building. Almost every aspect of the casino itself is designed specifically to encourage gamblers to keep spending their money. For example, the layout of the casino and its gambling machines are deliberately confusing and maze-like to catch your attention as you search for an exit. Some casinos even place the bathrooms further inside the building, so you’ll need to walk even deeper to reach them, exposing you to more enticing slot machines and poker tables in the process.

Many color choices are also related to how casinos keep people gambling. Those unusual and psychedelic-looking carpets on the casino floors — which nobody would willingly install in their own homes — are meant to keep gamblers awake and distracted from how much money they’re spending. The flashing and bright lights all around and on the machines aren’t so different, constantly stimulating the sense of the players. All of these elements make the casino feel like a party or special occasion, encouraging players to spend more of their paychecks.

Even the music choices are among the many methods of how casinos keep people gambling. Mild songs with no clear beginning or end can place people playing slots and casino games in a lulled state, preventing them from waking from their problematic behavior.

Removing Sense of Time

How do casinos keep people gambling if they can sense they’ve been on the slots for too long? The answer is simple — remove all evidence of the time of day. Casinos want gamblers to lose track of time and how long they’ve been playing games and have employed many tactics to make it seem as if time has come to a standstill. For example, there are typically no clocks hung on casino walls, and there are practically no windows so that gamblers don’t see the sun rise or set. Even if there are windows, they’re likely heavily tinted to prevent players inside from seeing whether it’s day or night.

Dissociation Tricks

One of the ways casinos keep you gambling is by making it feel like you aren’t spending any money at all. To accomplish this feat, they utilize several tricks to make players feel dissociated or separate from gambling. A well-known example of this trick is the brightly colored chips used in poker instead of real money. Gamblers don’t feel they’re giving away large sums of cash when betting big with the chips, which tricks them into thinking they aren’t spending as much money as they think they are.

If You’re Struggling With Gambling Problems, Call Us Today

For more information on how casinos keep people gambling and to receive support for problematic gambling behavior, contact 800-GAMBLER. We offer cognitive behavioral therapy for gambling problems, as well as resources to help you and your loved ones find gambling anonymous meetings online. To learn more and get started, call our free, confidential helpline today.

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