Casinos are fun places, filled with champagne glasses clinking and people laughing and playing games of chance. Whether you are a casual player or a high roller, it’s hard to walk into one without being caught up in the buzz of the place. But the truth is, casinos aren’t just a lot of fun – they’re also designed to trap you into spending your money. Here are nine tricks they use to make it impossible for you to step away.
When you walk into a casino, you’ll see lots of tables and slots surrounded by flashing lights and loud music. The goal is to create an environment that makes you lose track of time. That way, you’ll keep coming back and spending more money. The bright lights and sounds make it hard to concentrate on what you’re doing, so you won’t notice how many drinks you’ve had or how much your wallet is lighter.
Most casino patrons don’t realize that the gambling establishments they visit are actually shams, run by organized crime groups with tentacles reaching into politicians, union officials, mob bosses and even their own family members. This is what director Martin Scorsese lays bare in his movie Casino, which stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci as mafia kingpins Ace Rothstein and Frank Rosenthal, who are caught in a web of corruption that connects them to mobster heirs, corrupt cops, the Teamsters union and even their own families.
You’ll never find a clock in a casino, because the people running the casino want you to lose track of time. They want you to play for hours, paying no attention to the number of times your wallet is lighter. They want you to keep coming back and betting more money, so they’ll keep getting your hard-earned cash.
When someone wins on a slot machine or a table game, the sounds blare and the lights flash. This creates a sense of excitement that makes other players think it’s possible they will be the next big winner. This gives them false hope that they are on the verge of a lucky streak, which will encourage them to keep betting and losing.
Those who spend the most money at the casino are called “good” players. In addition to receiving free food and drinks, they can get a host of other perks like limo service and airline tickets. To qualify for these comps, you have to ask a casino employee how to sign up. Then, you’ll need to show them your ID and the receipts for your most recent bets. Then, the casino will decide if you are good enough for it. If you’re not, don’t worry, they have plenty of other ways to lure you back in again. They can also offer you new games or different versions of the ones you already play. You just have to be willing to give in.