Casinos have many wonderful aspects, but did you know they’re cleverly designed to keep you coming back? It all lies in the layout and the psychology behind it is much deeper than you might think.
It all revolves around a set of design principles called the ‘labyrinth’ layout. This has been proven by some very clever individuals to be an effective way to attract and keep customers for hours on end.
Bill Friedman
When it comes to casino design, two schools of thought prevail: Bill Friedman (known for his classic style casino design) and Roger Thomas (the man responsible for reimagining Las Vegas).
Friedman was born on 24 September 1891 in Kishinev, Russia and immigrated to America in 1914. While still pursuing his bachelor’s degree in genetics at Cornell University, he won several prizes during his time there.
He then joined Riverbank Laboratories, an outside research organization now commonly referred to as a think tank. Here he met Elizebeth Smith, whom he would later come to regard as his wife and partner in cryptology.
In 1917, they married and began a career of codebreaking for the U.S. government, working at Signal Intelligence Service before eventually becoming chief cryptologist of the National Security Agency (NSA).
William Friedman was an accomplished military cryptographer, codebreaker, cipher machine developer and case officer whose career spanned both World Wars. He served in various capacities with the War Department and Security Information Service (SIS), as well as authoring several textbooks on military cryptoanalysis. Furthermore, he served as the first head of cryptographic division of AFSA.
Roger Thomas
Thomas believes the success of casino design lies in creating an inviting atmosphere. To him, it should feel like guests are playing on a playground.
He designed spacious lobbys with high ceilings and lovely flowing fabrics. Additionally, he chose skylights to bring in natural sunlight.
Thomas instead chose mazes instead of straight aisles and low ceilings to draw players into playing his games. Additionally, he preferred sharp turns around every two dozen feet or so instead of long corridors.
Thomas also added art to his designs. At Wynn Las Vegas, for instance, a Popeye statue hangs near the entrance in one of their bathrooms – visitors are encouraged to take pictures with their phones!
Interior Design
Many people may not realize that casinos invest a great deal of time into interior design. They do this to create an inviting atmosphere and guarantee customers are comfortable when they visit.
Casinos often boast luxurious decor, with luxurious fabrics, gorgeous artifacts and sparkling antiques. This can give people a feeling of wealth and luxury which may lead them to place larger wagers.
They use hostile designs to encourage patrons to behave as expected, such as making public benches uncomfortable to sit on and concealing bathrooms in hidden corners of the casino floor.
Music is an integral element of casino interior design, and research has demonstrated that the right type of music can make gamblers happy and relaxed. Whether they’re playing slots or poker, music helps them stay in the right frame of mind for extended periods of time, increasing their chance at success.
Slot Machines
Slot machines are one of the most beloved forms of casino gambling. These electronic games have been around for years, evolving to become more engaging and entertaining as technology progresses.
Slot designers strive to create an enjoyable gaming experience that will encourage players to return and play again. Furthermore, they aim to incorporate various bonus features and special symbols that could potentially boost players’ chances of winning large payouts.
According to Ambrose, the odds of winning on slots are calculated using a random number generator and pay table. The pay table indicates how much money you will win when certain combinations of symbols appear on the reels.
Slot designers are encouraged to create themes that resonate with players. They borrow inspiration from popular movies, TV shows, comic books and more in order to make the games seem familiar to gamblers.