Following the sweeping crime epic Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese shifted gears for Casino, an exploration of Vegas as it was taking over by gambling corporations. It’s an entertaining movie with massive implications, showing how the mafia lost control of a desert city minting money in the billions. And it reveals how casinos are designed to keep people gambling for longer periods of time, and even more importantly, to distract from losses.
Casino features an iconic cast, including Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci reuniting as mobster duo Sam “Ace” Rothstein and Ginger McKenna. Both actors are at the top of their respective games, with De Niro playing a gritty gambler who’s unwilling to abandon his old ways even when his best friend (Pesci) is getting in trouble with the FBI. It’s a movie that evokes the sense of danger and dread that once pervaded the Strip, and still exists within the walls of many modern casinos.
How do casinos trick people into losing so much money? Casinos have a number of built-in advantages that guarantee they’ll always win, even in the short term. These include their house edge, which is the average profit the casino expects to make from each game played. These odds are calculated by mathematically analyzing every game and game outcome using the work of gaming mathematicians and computer programmers.
The house edge varies by game, but the basic rule is that the more you play, the more likely you are to lose. This is why many casino patrons continue gambling after a big loss and often lose more money in the process. In addition to utilizing house edges and variance, casinos also employ a variety of psychological tricks and ploys to get gamblers to spend more money. These tactics include the sunk cost fallacy, which refers to an individual’s tendency to continue betting after a bad result because they have already invested so much in the game.
Another common tactic is to offer rewards programs, which give players points for each dollar they bet, regardless of whether it wins or loses. These cards take the sting out of losing by allowing players to redeem their rewards for food, drinks and other casino merchandise. This makes it easier for people to spend more than they intended to, especially since they don’t feel like they’re actually losing money.
In an effort to lure gamblers, casinos often feature a bright, airy atmosphere and soft music. They may also use a mix of scents, such as vanilla and chocolate, to create a soothing feeling. Additionally, casinos don’t have clocks in the casino, because they want patrons to lose track of time and stay in the games. It’s easy to do when you have a cocktail waitress and are surrounded by slot machines, tables and a world that appears to be constantly changing.
