The Psychology Of Casinos

There are hundreds of casinos around the world decorated in countless themes, but there are a few things almost every casino seems to have in common.  Do you ever think about how casino floor design affects your casino experience?  Do you ever wonder why casinos can have such different décor themes, and still have the same exciting features?  It isn’t a coincidence, it’s a science

Psychologists love to learn about the human mind, and some are particularly fascinated with how the brain responds to casinos and gambling.  Mark Griffiths is a British psychologist that has been studying gambling since the 1990s, and his research on gambling has shed some light on some of the casino industry’s practices, and on why some people can’t get enough of the slots and tables.  In one study Griffiths found 56 volunteers to play roulette, and during each playing session the music and lights would change.  The study found that a combination of red lights and fast-tempo music made people bet at a faster pace than white lights and slow music.  It’s theorized that the betting speed increased when colorful lights and up-tempo music were displayed because it created the typical exciting environment test subjects expect to see when they’re in a true casino. 

Do you usually like going to events where you know that there will be a lot of people, but find that you enjoy going to casinos more when there are only a few people around?  Your aversion to casino crowds may have more to do with psychology than avoiding long times.  In 2009 scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario did a study on the affect crowds have on people who are gambling.  They brought together a group of 484 male and female gamblers in a simulated casino and studied how the reacted to various stimuli, including having different amounts of people surrounding them.  When the gaming floor was less crowded women in the group reported feeling the urge to gamble more than they had initially planned.  The researchers believe that the women may have felt the urge to gamble more when there were less people around because they didn’t feel like they were being heavily observed by others.

As you can see, some of your casino behaviors may have less to do with your particular mood and more to do with the human mind.  The next time you find yourself wondering about the hows and whys of casino design, delve into the world of casino psychology