How Casinos Attract and Retain Players

A casino is a gambling establishment that offers players games of chance and combines these with restaurants, bars, spas, museums and theaters. Some casinos ooze history and charm while others are glass-and-steel temples of overindulgence. In today’s competitive marketplace, casinos need to set themselves apart in order to attract and retain customers.

Casinos use a variety of psychological methods to encourage gamblers to spend more money. These techniques include physical layout, color schemes, and even the smells that waft through ventilation systems to create a manufactured state of euphoria. In addition, they often have no clocks and few windows to distract players from time passing. This creates an atmosphere that encourages players to stay longer and gamble more, as they lose track of the passage of time.

Casinos cater to three primary types of players. The first are recognition-driven players who seek to demonstrate their skills and win a sense of prestige. These players play about double the average amount at a casino and represent approximately 15% of all players. The second group is dedicated escapists who go to casinos to escape their everyday lives and rely on the excitement of the gaming experience. These players are more likely to be addicts and may spend many hours at a single casino, often in a trance-like state. These individuals often gamble up to six times the amount of the average player. They also tend to be loyal to a few casino properties.