It’s happened to all of us: You stride into the Luxor or Mohegan Sun brimming with confidence, wallet filled with cash, and plans for some enjoyable, sensible gaming and maybe two rounds of cocktails. Hours later, you have no idea what time it is, how many drinks you’ve had, or how much money you’ve lost.
Casino, Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Las Vegas’ glitzy underbelly, is a gripping and entertaining look at how casinos manipulate their patrons. It is one of the few movies to expose some of the ways casinos use lights, sounds and physical design to keep people gambling and spending money.
In the past, casinos often offered free rooms and meals to their high rollers. This meant that people didn’t have to leave the casino to meet their basic needs and they could gamble more. Today, casinos even waft scented oils through their ventilation systems to create a manufactured blissful experience that makes people feel good and keeps them coming back.
Another way casinos trick people is by hiding the clock. They remove all clocks from their casino floors to prevent players from keeping track of how long they’re there. This means that players lose track of how much they’re spending and can play for longer than they intended to. Some casinos even prohibit dealers from wearing watches. Setting a budget and a timer for each game can help you stay on top of your spending and not get carried away by the flashing lights and sirens of the casino floor.