Casinos want us to spend as much time within their premises as possible. To make sure that clients stay and gamble, casinos use various tricks. Those tricks affect our subconscious and manipulate us into spending more time (and more money, naturally) at the casino. Keep reading below and learn how casinos manipulate players into spending more time within their premises.

1. What time is it?

Believe it or not, many people are not accustomed to wearing watches. Of course, the gaming industry knows about this, but they have no intention to help you keep track of time. In fact, they want you not to know what time it is.

When people are doing something they like, they usually feel that time drifts by at a faster pace. Essentially, the more unaware players are of the time, the more likely they are to keep on gambling.

You expect to get the time from dealers? Do not. In most casinos, dealers are instructed not to tell players what time it is.

Recently, casinos (mostly in UK) have begun adopting new rules mainly due to pressure from regulators, who say that players must not be deprived of the right to know the time.

2. Is it day or night?

Have you noticed any windows in casinos? Surely, there are windows near the entrance and/or exit, but that is all. Once you go deep into the heart of the casino, you will not see a single window. This trick goes hand in hand with having no clocks.

In essence, casinos want to lure you in and make you forget what time it is and even whether it is day or night. They want you focused and playing. Naturally, when there is a window near you, you might get distracted by something on the street and stop playing. This is unprofitable for casinos, of course.

But that is not all: most streets in Vegas are quite bright and flashy—sometimes the street atmosphere is more appealing then the casino atmosphere—and this can make players want to go outside. How to resolve to make players stay inside? By removing the windows.

3. Atmosphere

Think about the surroundings at a casino. The light, the carpets, the colours – the whole atmosphere at a casino feels homey, cosy, and welcoming.

The lights in casinos are quite dim, right? Well, there is a reason behind it – harsh lighting could be harmful to the eyes and make people feel as if they are being interrogated. Dim lighting, on the other hand, translates to feelings of comfort and allows players to settle in and feel safe while enjoying themselves. Interestingly, even carpets are picked out for a reason. Most people consider carpets in casinos dowdy, flashy Nothing, etc. And yet, the human brain does not share the same opinion. To the brain, carpets in casinos are welcoming and pleasing to the eye with their colours, patterns, and strange lines. Add to this the walls and their captivating paints and wallpapers and the music that is played in casinos and you are all set.

Casinos aim to engage as many of your senses as possible in order for your brain to create a better memory of the place and make you want to visit the place again.

4. Almost winning

Without a doubt, the feeling a player gets when they win big is comparable to nothing. But did you know that almost winning gets your adrenaline pumping like crazy, too? It does not matter whether you play table games or slot machines, the principle behind all casino games is the same: you win some money at first but in the end it is the house that gets more. Think about slot machines – they usually distribute small payouts to players who are one cherry/bell/seven away from winning the slot’s jackpot. Being that close to a win affects players, making them gamble more (and thinking that they can actually win).

Things are not much different with table games. A gambler may win a few hands at poker and start believing that the game is winnable. But the house has an edge which means that, in the long run, it is always the house that wins.

There are also games which make players feel like they are in control of the outcome, like craps for example. Players do not realise that the house has an edge and, believing that they are in control of the game, they can spend their whole day (and night) throwing dice.