How casinos get people to lose more money

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Every time I’ve visited a casino I’m struck by the lack of windows. Anything to prevent the perception of the passage of time really helps squeeze those coinpurses.

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Note also how many of these tricks are adopted by e.g. shopping malls and even supermarkets. More often than not, also no windows.

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Just got back from Disney World. No right angles there either. I said to friends that Disney is designed to efficiently and effectively separate you from your money.

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Combine this with the fact that casual gamblers who get big winning streaks are usually treated as if they are cheating (and are sometimes even asked to leave the casino), and it really makes the “gaming industry” look like assholes.

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The Gruen Transfer is just the tip of the iceberg. Wake the fuck up, people!

Penn Jillette had a great story about the convention of statisticians who walked through the casino, watched the show, and walked right back out through the casino. No one wanted to be seen damaging their own credibility.

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I’d say IKEA is one of the best at this, although they do provide shortcuts and maps if you really need to get somewhere.

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You forgot to say sheeple.

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Or maybe they were genuinely not enticed. I’ve been to Vegas, but because I understand how probability works and believe that it works, I find the idea of spending money on casino games completely unappealing. They’re mostly not very interesting games once you eliminate the “I might make money” part…

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Thought. In few years, augmented reality will be quite common. Can we use these tools for providing us enough of familiar “environment”, and possibly other tools (which ones? suggestions?) to lower our tendency to become victims of the Gruen transfer?

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I hate casinos. Can’t get out of them fast enough, don’t understand the appeal at all. I am absolutely a bird in the hand kind of guy.

Have been to Vegas a few times, once to see the place, twice because other people wanted to go. Didn’t place a bet once. Really can’t understand the appeal of fruit machines.

I remember a Viz Top Tip that advised you to save time by putting your money in a envelope and posting it to the game manufacturer with a note asking for 70% of it back.

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If it’s supposed to be so enticing, why do most casinos look like a cruise liner from the 70s threw up in a budget caravan, then turned on a bunch of dollar-store LED signs?

People seem to be parted from their money very efficiently in Apple stores, why can’t we have casinos that look like them?

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Portable toilets don’t have windows, and I can’t wait to get out of them either! If casinos replaced their restrooms with porta potties I’m sure they’d keep a lot more people at the tables longer!

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Apple runs an extremely successful lottery called the App Store.

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Does this table include chamber pot service?

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