Do Casinos Pump Oxygen
Casinos in Las Vegas do not pump oxygen. While casinos use several tricks in order to keep players alert and at the tables for longer, pumping oxygen into the casino is not one of them. Higher levels of oxygen would increase the ri. O2 is highly flammable, if they were pumping it into casinos than the first time anyone ever lit a cigarette in any casino using this practice the entire building would have exploded. Report inappropriate content. While the rumor that casinos pump in extra oxygen into their rarified gambling atmosphere to induce positive feelings and alertness is still just a rumor, some casinos do, however, use pleasant. One of the more common urban legends is that casinos will pump in pure oxygen into the casino in an effort to keep players awake so they will gamble more and longer. STATUS: Not real. There are a number of practical reasons why casinos wouldn’t pump oxygen into a casino floor, not the least of which is the fact that it’s a flame accelerant.
Casino 'mind tricks' will be tested at artist Kate Brinkworth's exhibition |
The shortlist of towns vying to build the UK's first 'super-casino' - and 16 smaller venues - has been revealed, and competition is fierce.
Anyone who has been to Las Vegas will know that, once through the doors, casinos exude a curiously artificial aura. According to Kati St Clair, a business psychologist, the aim is to induce a trance-like state in gamblers.
'Casinos make you feel intimate, enclosed, euphoric; you're in a suggestible state in which you want to stay where you are, continuing to do what you are doing,' she says.
But how can a casino be designed to encourage people to gamble more and for longer?
Playing the tables in Las Vegas can be a disorienting experience, thanks, in part, to a lack of clocks and natural daylight. Casinos can even simulate daylight during the dark hours to lull players into remaining at the tables and slot machines, all the time parting with their cash.
UK rules: British casino operators will not be allowed to get away with such tactics. The proposed Gambling Act says customers must be aware of how much time - and money - they have spent gambling, and make sure that breaks in play are encouraged.
The soundtrack of a casino will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in a supermarket or shopping mall, and it's used to similar effect.
'Casinos are rather womb-like,' says Ms St Clair. 'Almost always the colour is red and the music is mild and on a continuous loop, rather than individual songs. All of this contributes to the trance-like state of a gambler. Nightclubs use the same sort of tactics.'
UK rules: There appear to be no rules to restrict the sort of music played in British casinos - a matter of regret, perhaps, to those who dislike piped music but are fond of a flutter.
One tactic used in some American casinos is to offer free alcoholic drinks and easy grazing snacks to keep punters betting. Those on a winning streak may have drinks brought to them so as not to interrupt play.
UK rules: This type of inducement will be frowned on in Britain. The UK's Gambling Act will rule out using alcohol to encourage people to gamble. But energy drinks are likely to be on the bar menu, to help keep gamblers stimulated.
No ordinary air-con for US casinos, where extra oxygen may be pumped in to help players stay alert. The manufacturer of oxygen boxes used in Las Vegas casinos has recently launched the product here.
And pheromones have reportedly been released from US machines to encourage aggressive gambling.
UK rules: Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has said such psychological trickery would be banned in Britain. 'We'll simply not allow any tricks which people are subjected to unawares and which increase the risk of problem gambling,' she said.
A Gambling Commission spokeswoman says chemicals to falsely enhance confidence will not be allowed. 'If we see it, we can levy unlimited fines upon them.' But these are not banned per se - hence an exhibition in London's Mark Jason Gallery next week, which will be using 'mood influencing' aromas, and other casino-style 'mind tricks' to see if art viewers can be turned into art buyers.
There's nothing like a near-miss to encourage a gambler to keep pumping coins into a slot machine or laying their chips on the table.
Not only can gaming machines be set to provide a certain number of near misses, these have become more sophisticated in the past decade so as to make a near-miss look even more tantalising.
'A near-miss causes a gambler to over-estimate their chances of winning,' says Dr Luke Clark, a Cambridge University psychologist. 'If their horse finishes second, or in a casino they watch two cherries come up on a slot machine and then see the third almost click into place, they'll keep playing. A problem gambler will keep playing for a third as long again.'
And when a gambler feels their skill can influence the outcome - throwing the die, say, or choosing lottery numbers - a feeling of control develops that keeps them gambling longer.
'There are subtle ways that casinos and slot machines can introduce near misses and perceived skill that encourage people to gamble,' Dr Clark says.
UK rules: Draft legislation says the rules of games, odds or house edge - a casino's in-built advantage - average return to the player, and dispute and complaints procedures must all be clearly displayed.
Add your comments on this story, using the form below. Casinos already have no clocks in them. No windows and all dealers are forbidden from wearing watches, so that if a customer asks the time you don't know. There is currently a table service for all non-alcoholic drinks which are free. The alcohol needs to be kept away from the tables, not only to protect gamblers from getting into debt but also the dealers. If you have just lost £500 in ten minutes and you have also managed to get drunk doing it, how long before you take it out on the dealers?
Ellen, London
Tosh! Of course casinos seek to make customers comfortable. What leisure venue doesn't? Casinos are not invariably red. The music isn't a loop in any casino I worked in - there were individual songs. No music, no atmosphere - ask a customer. Simulating daylight when its dark outside? Used in Vegas in shopping malls outside gaming areas.
Geoff, Brighton
What about the loyalty cards? From them they know all about regular gamblers, which slot machine they prefer, what they eat and drink etc. Then in the post they get lots of vouchers for free meals, free transport, free entertainment, free drinks, special prize competitions, free hotel rooms. It is those that turn regular gamblers in to problem gamblers.
Cllr Steven Bate, Blackpool, UK
Banks have recently adopted a more comfortable atmosphere too with background music, soft lighting, soothing colours and some are also removing clocks...
Cameron, Ayrshire
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Whether you play on a daily basis or have only visited a few times in your life, casinos have an undeniable feeling of, “we’re seeing a lot, but we’re not seeing it all.”
The enigma of casinos has led to a certain air of mystery. In many cases, some of the most commonly believed notions about casinos are actually false, while the truth is most commonly known by those who have worked in the industry.
In this article, I’ll get into some of these notions that have made their way into the culture, then I’ll explain what’s true and what is not.
Fact: Casinos Want You to Lose Track of Time
Everyone has heard, at some point or another, that land based casinos don’t include any windows or clocks in their building. Not only that, but the reason is so you completely lose your sense of time altogether, leading you to gamble for long periods of time without taking breaks.
It turns out this one is true! And the fact that many casinogoers know about it does not stop it from still being a very effective form of manipulation.
Without the sun to indicate that the day is in fact moving, or clocks to remind you that your wife got home two hours ago, people can get quite lost in a gambling session. Now, obviously just about everyone has access to a timepiece right in their pocket via phone, but seeing numbers on a screen doesn’t quite have the same impact as seeing it go from light outside to dark.
Fiction: Casinos Pump in Oxygen
I can’t say how this one got started, but it’s one of the most widely-believed myths about casinos that just won’t seem to die. No, casinos do not circulate extra oxygen throughout the air inside the casino.
Second, casinos have no way of knowing potential health problems that guests might have. Adding oxygen might actually help in some cases, but in others, it could cause unknown problems. The casino does not need that on their list of things to deal with.
The bottom line is that the risk of burning the casino down is simply not worth the benefit of a few extra dollars. The next time your friends try to drop this knowledge on you, make a bet that they’re wrong and you could start the day with a few extra dollars in your bankroll. You’re welcome.
Fact: Casinos Are Laid Out in a Specific Way
What does the local chain grocery store have in common with the casino downtown? They’re both laid out in a specific way that is designed to maximize profits.
Casinos use psychological tricks in a way that aims to make the bettor feel comfortable, meaning not having an eye on the door at all times. I won’t say they’re made to be a labyrinth of sorts, but that isn’t far from the truth. Casino builders want you to get swallowed up in the action and feel good doing it.
Does Oxygen Keep You Awake
Another way casinos look to use the gaming floor design to their advantage is by making the games with the worst odds the most noticeable. For example, if you walk around you can’t help but notice the flashing lights seen on games like Big Six and other low-odds video slot machines.
Obviously the responsibility falls on the gambler to make the right decisions about what games to play and how long to play them, but in a way, it’s a battle of wills between house and player that often goes unnoticed.
If you find yourself wandering around the casino looking for a game to play, keep in mind that the ones that stand out are noticeable for a reason. They’re probably going to take your money.
Fiction: Casino Machines Are Rigged
When you lose a hand in blackjack or watch as the roulette ball lands on black instead of red, you can accept that you just got unlucky. However, when the dealer in video blackjack seems to be hitting 21 at a high rate, it might feel like something else is at play.
It can be difficult to accept that losses in video based casino games, such as video poker, 21, roulette, or slot machines are legitimate. I mean, how easy would it be to program them in such a way that ensures they’ll always come out ahead?
The reasons are plenty when it comes to why a casino would not want to manipulate their games to have a better outcome for the house. The penalties for doing this are severe, and the hit to a casino’s reputation might be irreparable. Nobody is going to want to play at the casino that has knowingly cheated guests in the past.
Casinos have strict rules and regulations surrounding their video offerings, so the next time you lose, the only person you have to blame is the random number generator that seems to be extra lucky that day.
Fiction: You’ll Get Arrested for Card Counting
If you’ve ever watched the movie 21 or Rain Man, it’s likely that you’ve considered counting cards. At the same time, you’ve also probably wondered what the consequences of that would be if you were to get caught.
Somewhat surprisingly, card counting isn’t technically illegal. It certainly won’t get you thrown in jail or punished in a legal sense, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely free of consequence.
As you would expect, casinos don’t want their gamblers counting cards and getting an edge on the house, but they aren’t going to dedicate a ton of time and resources to preventing the practice (unless you’re really making a ton of money). However, people get caught all the time because it’s hard to keep a straight face while doing it.
The worst you can expect is probably a stern, but fair, talking to by the casino staff. They might kick you out for the day, suggest you don’t come back and play there again, or may just tell you not to do it anymore.
Each establishment differs when it comes to how they handle card-counters, but one thing is for sure—the vast majority of them go undetected.
Fact: You Can Ban Yourself
I can’t say how frequently this unique law is invoked, but the fact that it even exists is interesting enough in itself. Casinos will actually allow you to ban yourself, and can enforce it through legal means.
While it’s hard to know if this has had a positive impact on the lives of those who gamble compulsively, in my opinion, it’s a good step. Let this be a reminder that gambling can become a problem, and if you see things heading that direction in your own life, use the gambling addiction resources at your disposal to help.
Conclusion
Do Casinos Pump Oxygen In Air
Do Vegas Casinos Really Pump Oxygen
The inner workings of casinos will always remain somewhat enigmatic to those on the outside, but hopefully this article shed some light on separating myth from reality.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of casinos and how they function today, there are a number of resources that hold these insights. I encourage everyone to learn about what makes casinos tick, because it’s certainly not a clock!