Gambling Tricks – How Casinos Trick You Into Spending More Money

It’s happened to all of us: You stride into the Luxor or Mohegan Sun brimming with confidence, wallet in hand and plans for a bit of enjoyable, sensible gambling and maybe two rounds of drinks. Hours later, you have no idea what time it is, how many drinks you’ve had or how much money has been lost — but you’re still playing. Despite their flashy lights, pulsating music and eye-catching design, casinos are masters of manipulating gamblers into spending more money than they intended to. Here are some of the most common gambling tricks they use.

The symphony of nonstop sound, light and color in casinos is designed to captivate and encourage gamblers to continue placing their bets. For instance, the flashing lights on slot machines resemble lottery tickets, which triggers the same brain response as winning a jackpot. Research also shows that people tend to follow a losing bet with a bigger bet because of the sunk cost fallacy.

Casinos are full of eye-catching games, and they’re strategically placed so that when you need something — a restroom, cashier or even a restaurant — it requires an extended walk past the enticing casino action. This is one of the oldest gambling tricks, used to trick players into betting more than they originally planned.

Free booze is another of the most popular casino tricks to lure gamblers. This is because, even if you’re not drunk, alcohol slows the brain and can make gamblers more liberal with their money. Combined with the sunk cost fallacy, it’s often a recipe for disaster.