It’s happened to all of us: We stride into the Luxor or Mohegan Sun or Tropicana, wallet filled with cash, armed for an evening of enjoyable, sensible gaming and perhaps two rounds of cocktails. But hours later we’re barely conscious of what time it is, or how many drinks we’ve had, and we still haven’t won that elusive jackpot. What we do know is that we’ve spent way more money than we intended to. And that’s because the people running casinos — which don’t use clocks or have windows to dampen the sunlight — know exactly how to lure you in and then keep you spending.
They rely on sounds, lights and physical design to create an experience that’s at once welcoming and hard to walk away from. Almost everything about the casino environment is designed to make it difficult to leave, and the euphoric feeling you get when a near-miss keeps you spinning the reels or pushing that button just one more time is manufactured rather than natural.
Casinos also bring in large numbers of tourists and business travelers, and these visitors support local hotels and restaurants as they spend their money in town. And in some places, the opening of a casino can actually decrease the unemployment rate in the surrounding area because more skilled workers move in to work for the casino.
But despite these positive effects, it’s important for casinos to take the right approach to their marketing in order to attract and retain customers. This means prioritizing transparency, security and a high level of customer service. It also means targeting groups and events, which can be the perfect fit for a casino’s luxurious hotel offerings, cutting-edge technology, flexible event space, spa and fitness facilities, and delicious restaurants.