How to Keep People Gambling at Your Casino

Beneath the gloss of flashing lights and free cocktails, casinos stand on a bedrock of mathematics, engineered to slowly bleed their patrons of cash. For years mathematically inclined minds have tried to turn the tables, using their knowledge of probability and game theory to exploit weaknesses in a system that’s fundamentally unfair. But for every trick devised, another is hatched to circumvent it: casinos are built to make money, after all, and the longer people stay and gamble, the more they earn.

Whether you’re playing poker, blackjack or roulette, your money is real, but it doesn’t feel like it when the cash is exchanged for colorful little discs that represent it. That’s why some casinos offer ATM-like services that let you load up a card with actual cash so when you lose, the loss doesn’t hurt as much.

Casinos also employ a number of other tactics to keep people gambling, including hiding bathrooms deep inside the building and ensuring that there are always lots of tables or machines nearby. Many of these strategies are meant to distract people and make them spend more time and money on games, and they often work.

As a casino marketer, you want to encourage guests to gamble as long as possible while also making sure they have a good experience. To achieve these goals, it’s important to understand how your audience behaves and what their priorities are. For instance, Millennials are more likely to spend their casino money on entertainment and food than Boomers or Gen Xers. This means they need to be marketed differently than their older counterparts.