Casino Connection

Let’s take a trip through a mythical casino. As we drire up to the glittering building, we enter the porte-cochere. where a valet welcomes us. We approach the doors and, as they swing open, they reveal the colourful, noisy and exciting casino. Lights are flashing, bells are ringing and people are chattering about the action unfolding before them. It’s a gateway into a new world.

The bright lights and constant action are meant to draw us into the depths of the casino. Watch the slot machines near the entrance. Many slot experts argue that casino executives place the higher paying machines at the casino entrance to give the impression that people are winning throughout the whole establishment. While no slot executive has ever admitted to this, many players assume that it is true and will only play at machines near the entrance.

Conversely, machines near the coin cashier (the “cage”) are supposedly tighter, and payout less than other machines throughout the casino. The theory is that players heading to the cage will be captured on the way, and since it may be the last chance the casino has to get their money, the house had better make the most of it. Again, executive corroboration of this method has rarely, if ever, been obtained.

We resist the high-paying entrance slots and proceed to the jaws of the casino. As we plunge further into its depths, we are engulfed by the various options. The machines are everywhere, of course, each beckoning with different themes, colours and payouts.

Blackjack dealers busily distribute the cards, while welcoming new players with broad smiles. Roulette dealers sweep the layouts clean of losing bets, and push out a veritable mountain of chips to the winners. Players of the most exciting of all games, craps, bellow their approval when the shooter makes his point.

But it is the impersonal slot machine that makes its presence most felt. The modern slot machine is no longer simply the one-armed bandit. Compared to its predecessors, the new slots are seductresses, luring their players with a variety of ploys. Funny cartoons and images of familiar TV sitcoms or game shows lure players to familiar sights. Sounds drift from nearly every machine, whether being played or not. Appealing squeaks, squawks and pleasant voices vie for the attention of passers-by. Even the deaf would have a hard time ignoring these high-tech machines, for colourful glass, shiny brass and state-of-the-art graphics on the screens complete the job the noises have only begun. The latest machines even glow when a jackpot is hit.

Further on, the sports and race book features floor-to-ceiling television screens, private betting areas and rows of seats that enable customers to stay in touch with sporting events around the world. They range from the American National Football League season to Test cricket in the West Indies to tennis in France, the area constantly erupts as bettors react to different plays on the various screens.

Music in the adjacent lounges add to the general cacophony of the casino, transporting players to yet another level of fantasy. The dress code in most casinos is decidedly casual these days, but on special events – superstar entertainment or a boxing championship – elegantly dressed men and women pass through at any hour of the day or night, just adding to the allure of the casino gaming experience.

As we reach the secluded rear of the casino, the action really heats up. The high-limit slot machines – including a couple for hundreds of pounds – are set aside by themselves, with the players getting personalized treatment that may include a back massage, warm towels or a meal delivered to the machines. These are the high gamblers of the slot world, and very valuable to any casino.

The premium tables are located in the baccarat pit. Half-a-dozen blackjack tables cater to the elite of the gaming world. Minimums usually start at £50 and increase sharply. The elegant game of baccarat, where minimums usually start at £10 and maximums can soar to more than £500,000, often loses its charm when players’ losses mount, turning them surly and sullen. A “French” roulette wheel – a table with simply a single “0″ instead of the less favourable “00″ waits for the knowledgeable high roller to try his luck.

Consider a casino like you would a supermarket. You know that you have to go to the back to buy milk. Everyone needs milk, and it is often priced as a loss-leader to get the customers in the door. The supermarket executives want you to walk past all the high-profit items to get to that milk so you’ll buy other items on impulse.

The same is true in a casino. The best-paying slot machines are usually difficult to find. You have to hunt for them, and many players will simply give up and play the machine that is the most convenient. This machine is most likely one of the lowest-paying machines in the house.

The same tactics apply to table games. What do you see when you first enter the table-game area? The Big Six Wheel – money wheel or wheel of fortune, whatever it’s called in that casino – is there click-clacking its illusory message. The odds are so terrible for this game that the casino generally keeps half the money played on this table. But walk down the aisle toward the back of the casino, and you may find a very favourable blackjack table that has rules that almost favour the player.

Casino executives consider themselves successful when they can convince players to leave their inhibitions at the door, suspend their perception of time, and create a new and exciting reality – even if it is a fantasy.