The minute that you even spot many casinos you’re drawn in right from that very first glimpse, perhaps a glimpse from hundreds of metres away. Think about the enormous fountains of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The shooting flames alongside the riverside Crown Casino in Melbourne. Unique, changing and eye-catching displays that delight the mind and the mind’s eye. These types of displays can be just as mesmerising for adults as they are children.
Eye candy to entice you in
But the casinos themselves? That’s only for those of age. Where there are plenty more eye-catching delights to be found!
But should you step inside? If you are one of those people that is easily manipulated, always gets hypnotised at a hypnosis show, it’s better to stay out of a casino. You can get your kicks online without the risk of being drawn in and losing your shirt. There are even online casinos that will let you play for free and guides to help you take advantage of these free offers.
The draw to step inside
After the outside of the casino teases with a taste of what might be inside, people are drawn to the spectacle that might be inside. Many casinos are attached to luxury shopping, dining, and accommodation facilities, all housed in beautiful, grand surroundings. These give the person a sense of excitement, a place to play as a big kid, even if they don’t even want to set foot in the casino itself. You’ll find plenty of people heading to casinos for the nightclub, a restaurant, or a weekend away – customers who may or may not hit up the casino itself.
But once they do… once you’re past some big doors and burly bouncers, another visual feast awaits. It’s a place that looks to adults like a fair look to children. Bright colours, flashing lights, smooth bars, smiling croupiers, and big jackpot signs.
Design tricks to control gamblers on the floor
While older casino tricks like a lack of clocks or sunlight may still be prevalent in many casinos, others now shun these in favour of slivers of sunlight shining through and a clock every here or there for responsibility – with bonus points for elegant opulence.
In fact, with many casinos, the feeling of elegance but comfort is the name of the game, making people feel both enticed and happy – so that hours can pass by easily without noticing.
How do casinos achieve this? With high ceilings, clear sight lines so you can see (most of) what’s on offer on the floor, opulent fabrics and colours, and comfy surrounds like chairs. This type of design was popularised by Thomas Friedman, the ‘playground-style’ of casino, a move away from the maze-like designs of the 1960s that trapped players in.
The result? A “particularly marked effect on those guests who normally don’t gamble. The seduction of his décor, perhaps, is that it doesn’t feel like a gambling environment.”
Strategically located services are dotted throughout the casino – bars, eating areas, cashiers, and the like, so everything is only a stone’s throw from the action. Popular slots are gathered near entrances, with others placed strategically to the side of groupings of tables, so if a slot catches your eye on your way to your next game then you can head right over and play.
There are also other design elements that might escape your attention, that are designed to lull you and put you at ease; music, even smells can be softly floated throughout the casino to further enhance the experience. After all, we have five senses, and if you’re in the business of making money, there should be design elements at play that appeal to all of them: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
How to influence that last one? The lure of your favourite free drink, a vodka tonic or a hot chocolate, or even meals for those who sign up to the casino club. We’re all known to think with our stomachs at times and think less (about our losses) after a tipple or two.
There are plenty of ways that casinos use design to psychologically, subtlety control gamblers into spending more than they’d like to and staying for longer than they’d like to. It’s an interesting business to get into as an interior designer – that’s for sure.
