Navigating an online casino is a very “direct” experience. You can easily access everything you want to do. For example, you can claim a bonus you find on Best Casino Bonuses Pakistan 2023 in a few minutes. Navigating a real casino, on the other hand, may not be that easy: the architectural techniques used are designed to guide and manipulate players toward a specific goal.
“Casino design is a combination of architecture and psychology,” says Casino Bonuses Finder Product Owner Tony Sloterman. “Everything you see in a casino is there for a purpose, and nothing is accidental.” So, what are the techniques used when designing casinos and for what purposes are they used? Below you can find the answers to these questions.
All designs were the same until the 2000s
Bill Friedman is known as the “man who designed Las Vegas.” Almost every casino built between 1990-2000 used the design techniques set by Friedman.
Therefore, many casinos look very similar to each other. Friedman was not an architect and had no training in psychology. But he was a professional gambler and had previously worked as a manager at multiple casinos: he knew exactly what gamblers were thinking.
Friedman has consulted on how casinos should be designed for more than a decade. He describes the techniques he uses in his book “Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition” and we are sure you have heard most of them before. Friedman noted the following in casino design:
- ● The casino should not have clocks and windows. Gamblers should not be able to get an idea of how much time they spend there.
- ● The casino should be designed as a “labyrinth” and while going to the areas that everyone has to use (bathroom, restaurant, bar, etc.), the players should see gambling opportunities on their way.
- ● The most popular games (usually slot machines) should be placed near the exit, and there must be a single exit. A player can see these games and change their mind when leaving the casino.
- ● No decorations other than gaming machines should be used.
- ● To create a close and intimate feeling, the ceiling height should be low, and the casino should have many small rooms. (Friedman believed that large and empty spaces would only befit barns.)
- ● There should be absolutely no empty space: the players should see an opportunity wherever they look.
Modern designs are differentRoger Thomas was the first to oppose these design choices. Thomas, an interior designer, thought Friedman’s ideas were absurd.
Friedman preferred a casino-focused design, while Thomas chose to switch to a player-focused design. First, he tried to remove the “trapped in a tiny room” feeling and wanted to give players more sensory input. For this purpose, he designed big and bright open spaces: the casinos were now illuminated by natural light. He abandoned the labyrinth design and decorated the casinos using European-style furnishings. He aimed to create a design that felt opulent.
He also encouraged casinos to use scents: certain scents are known to make certain games more popular. Thomas changed the casino design rules almost completely and became known as “the man who redesigned Las Vegas”: his designs are used in almost every casino built in the last 20 years. Today, names like David Krane and Brad Friedmutter continue the legacy they inherited from Thomas.
In the last few years, techniques called “playground” and “structure within structure” have been used in casino designs. These techniques add new elements to Thomas’ design ideas, such as static lighting, theme-based placement of gaming machines, and highlighting of gaming areas with specific colors.
