How Casinos Use Psychological Tricks to Keep Players Hooked

Casinos are glitzy, enticing places that seem like a good place to spend a night out with friends. But the reality is that gambling can be addictive and even if you win, you will lose money. The house always wins. Casinos rely on psychology to get players to gamble more and crave coming back, no matter how much they lose. Here are a few of the most common psychological tricks casinos use to pull people in and keep them hooked.

Many casinos use digital credits or chips instead of real money to create a separation between the player and the money they’re spending. This makes it easier to place larger bets, and allows the casino to track a player’s spending habits more easily.

The best way to avoid gambling addiction is to set a limit before you start playing, and stick to it. Gambling is not a lucrative way to make money, and it’s not designed to be a rewarding experience. To help prevent addiction, choose only a small amount of money to gamble with, and always leave your ATM card in the hotel room.

The film Casino stars Robert De Niro as mobster and former Las Vegas mayor Don Rickles, Sharon Stone as blonde hustler Ginger McKenna, and Joe Pesci as his partner in crime Sam Rothstein. The movie is a fascinating history lesson about Vegas’ past ties to organized crime and the rise of huge gambling corporations.