While playing at an online casino is convenient and fun, there’s no doubt that when you visit a casino in person, you feel like you’re stepping out of reality into a magical fantasy world where anything is possible. But this isn’t just a coincidence. Casino architecture and casino interior design play a huge role in transporting you to a gambling wonderland.
Learn all about the secrets that help create a captivating casino here.
The Godfather of Casino Design
Much of the theory that goes into designing a modern casino can be attributed to one man: Bill Friedman. There’s no doubt that Friedman is a man with a deep passion for the casino industry. He was once the president and general manager of two casinos on the Vegas Strip, the Castaways Hotel and Casino and the Silver Slipper Casino. Both of these casinos were performing poorly until Friedman stepped in, after which they became much more profitable gambling venues.
Friedman has also written multiple books on the industry, with his outstanding work in “Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition” making him the person who set the standard in casino design. This book explores the different aspects of casino design between the 1930s and 1990s, unpacking what worked and what didn’t work, delving into the details of various specific design factors like privacy, ceiling height, themes, sound levels, entrances, and much more.
If you want to explore this subject in detail, you can find the book at most online bookstores, but do be warned: it’s costly because it appeals to a niche audience. For those who are interested in some of the general insights into how casinos approach design, keep on reading.
The Secrets Behind Designing a Captivating Casino
Using the decor and casino architecture to capture people’s attention doesn’t just happen by accident. There are specific choices you can make to help make a casino more appealing to guests. Here are some of the most important elements of design that make up part of the casino strategy to attract and entertain visitors.
1. Catch People’s Attention
Before a person even enters your casino, you’ll need a way to catch their attention with something memorable. The first way this is achieved is through unique architectural design.
The first unforgettable example of this is the Luxor Hotel and Casino. This venue looks like a giant black pyramid, which is an unforgettable sight on its own. But one also has to keep in mind how this one-of-a-kind design helps it stand out from the other buildings in the area, even when compared to other casinos and resorts in Las Vegas.
Another memorable resort and casino is the ARIA, which not only towers above many of the buildings around it, but also catches your eye with the way it reflects the light and scenery around it. Finally, there’s the Fountains of the Bellagio, which “dance,” creating a spectacle for all nearby to see.
In all of these examples, it’s clear that every location has something about it that’s iconic and meant to catch your eye immediately.
2. Welcome People With an Intriguing Entrance
Once a casino has gotten someone close enough, their next goal is to get them to walk inside. Casino designers again need to ensure that the architecture is both unique and inviting.
Depending on the casino’s aesthetic, this might be a classic Roman-influenced entrance with tall columns and a large entranceway simulating the experience of stepping into a Roman palace. Or, perhaps, it’s an entrance with intricately dressed elephant statues leaning back, greeting you as you step through equally-detailed massive jungle-themed wooden doors.
Depending on the look of the casino, it might be that there’s a red carpet where you park your car at the valet station and a ceiling lined with bright golden lights to guide you toward the entrance while also reminding you that you’re in the glitzy and glamorous city of Las Vegas.
No matter where you go, the best casinos all aim to make your entrance into the casino a truly memorable one.
3. Help Players Get Lost in the Fun
With guests finally inside, the casino will want to make sure that they help guide them through the casino so that visitors get to see everything there is for them to enjoy. They’ll also ensure things are laid out so that gamblers aren’t rushed straight along from point A to point B. This encourages them to spend their money on their favorite games or stop to enjoy a drink or bite to eat at one of the casino’s many bars and restaurants.
As a result, a casino’s layout design will be intentionally “maze-like,” with specific games and amenities placed at key locations throughout the casino. This ensures that visitors make their way through the venue at a slower pace and have many opportunities to enjoy the casino’s many services.
4. Ensure Everything Is Within a Convenient Distance
Here’s another simple rule that you’ll see in action at many casinos: when visitors need something, they shouldn’t have to wander too far to get it. This means that each gaming or entertainment area should have its own amenities, like bathrooms, bars, and restaurants nearby.
Imagine being a slots fan visiting a casino for the first time. You find your favorite game and have a great time playing, but then discover that you have to walk to the other side of the casino to have a drink or go to the toilet. Most people wouldn’t enjoy having to deal with that and will probably look for the exit as soon as possible (or are very unlikely to return to your establishment again).
Ensuring guests have access to the most important services will help make the experience enjoyable, encourage them to stay for long periods, and offer them such a good time that they plan to come back to a casino again in the future.
5. No Matter What Time of Day, It’s Time to Play
Another trick casino designers use to encourage people to stay is to prevent any natural light from entering the casino itself. This means that people are more likely to lose track of time while they’re wandering the casino floor.
Speaking of time, you also won’t find clocks on any wall in a casino. This is another subtle reminder that the casino doesn’t want you to worry about the time and that you should just be focused on enjoying yourself and having fun.
6. Use the Room To Set the Mood
While some casinos may lean into a single design approach and a consistent atmosphere around the venue, many casinos understand that you want different rooms to offer different moods. In order to help shift the atmosphere from one space to the next, casino designers will take into account an incredible range of criteria, including ceiling height, the size of the room, the carpets on the floor, the colors of the walls and lights, and many more factors, to help give each space its own character.
For example, a large room with a low ceiling and multicolored carpets, packed with casino table games and slots with flashing lights and game sounds, might be an appealing place to enjoy a few rounds of blackjack or to play slot machines. However, the same can’t be said for other spaces in a gambling venue.
Take a restaurant, for example. A gambler who wants to take a break from gaming and enjoy a meal will likely want a more relaxed space to do so. While many restaurants in a casino will still likely be well-lit, with invitingly-colored walls and carpets, the space will likely offer a far calmer atmosphere when compared to the hustle and bustle of a slot machine room.
An entrance area might also take a completely different approach to a restaurant, with high ceilings and large open spaces to create the feeling of opulence and luxury.
When a casino designer is working on a particular space, there’s the understanding that each room serves a different purpose and that design choices should support the function and mood of a particular space without stepping away too much from the overall theme of the casino.
Combine Allure, Excitement, and Comfort
Ultimately, a casino designer must balance out a variety of different elements to ensure that the design of a casino is appealing to those passing by while also being fun and exciting, and comfortable for guests.
Enjoy Playing Your Favorite Casino Games at Borgata Online
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