The casino industry relies on the fact that people are willing to gamble their money away for the chance of winning big. Slot machines, black jack roulette, craps and keno account for most of the billions in profit casinos rake in each year. While some games require skill, such as video poker, most are pure chance.
Gambling has been a part of human civilization for millennia, with early evidence dating back to 2300 BC in China. Dice first appeared in Rome around 500 BC and the game that we now know as blackjack hit the scene in the 1400s.
While the casino business is predicated on chance, the overall experience should be enjoyable and welcoming for guests. Guests who leave feeling like they had a good time are more likely to return and spend more money gambling. Therefore, marketers should work to create a manufactured state of bliss for players. For example, most modern casinos waft scented oils in their ventilation systems to make players feel happy and relaxed. The scented atmosphere is further enhanced by dazzling lights and joyful music.
The movie Casino is a great example of how the casino experience can be transformed into a movie masterpiece. While it does portray some violent scenes (the torture of De Niro’s character with a vice, the drug overdose of Sharon Stone’s character), Scorsese uses these scenes for their dramatic impact rather than for shock value. In the end, the characters’ avarice and greed get them their comeuppance and we actually feel bad for them.