How Casinos Trick You Into Spending

Casino

A casino is a place that’s designed to lead you into spending your money. The lights, sounds, and physical design all work together to create an environment that’s at once welcoming and hard to walk away from.

You can walk into the Luxor or Mohegan Sun with confidence and a wallet full of cash, but you’re bound to leave feeling a little lighter than when you walked in. That’s because casinos use a variety of tricks to keep you gambling, Business Insider reports. From sound and lighting to physical layout, here are nine ways casinos trick you into spending your money.

The first thing you see when you walk into a casino is rows of tables and machines. The rooms are usually laid out in a maze-like pattern with few straight aisles, so that you have to walk past lots of more opportunities to play before you find the bathroom. Casinos also strategically place their sound systems, playing upbeat music and ringing bells to create an enticing atmosphere. These noises make other gamblers feel like they are winning, increasing the odds that you will start pressing your luck as well.

If you do happen to win, you’ll hear cheers from other players and see bright flashing lights. This is all part of the design to create a false sense of possibility, which makes you want to continue gambling. Free drinks are also a popular casino tactic, since tipsy people tend to make more poor decisions and spend more money. This is why many casinos offer loyalty programs similar to airline frequent flyer cards; these track patrons’ spending habits and tally up points that can be exchanged for coupons for free slot play, meals, drinks, or shows.