Whether you camp out on the slots, try your luck with roulette, or hope on the dice at the craps table, casinos are custom-built for those who love games of chance. But rest assured, when it comes to creating an environment to lure and seduce customers, casinos leave nothing to chance. Every detail is designed for maximum impact, and while notoriously wild and colorful, casino flooring is very much a strategic choice.
There’s no denying it: casino flooring is often… how do we put this delicately? Busy. Bold. Swirling. Loud. And, some say, “hideous.” They violate every sensible design rule in the book, and the more jarring, clashing, and complex, the better. The famous Bellagio, for example, features big, bold floral-inspired designs in blacks, reds, golds, and greens. The Bellagio may be a luxury resort, but it is far from subtle! It’s not alone: from Caeser’s Palace to Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino & Resort to South Florida’s Hialeah Park, it seems as if there’s fierce competition to see who can utilize the most outrageous casino carpet patterns.
Casino Flooring: There’s a Method to the Madness
Casinos have a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to enticing customers to come in and part with their money. There are typically no clocks, no windows, nothing to indicate to a patron that they have spent six hours straight at the slot machine. The drinks flow, and the music is carefully chosen depending on the clientele and mood the casino wants to create. Casino flooring is another conscientious choice.
So, let’s get back up to the big question: what’s the deal with the busy flooring? This is a decision that is both psychological and practical. Many experts argue that casino carpet patterns that incorporate images like rainbows send a subliminal message of luck. Gamblers and game players not not realize it, but the carpet could be encouraging them to take one more shot at charming Lady Luck.
Another widely held theory is that casinos want to keep patrons a little off balance, a little unnerved, a little uneasy. Sensory overload lowers inhibitions, making people more likely to spend – and spend more. The loud carpet, the loud music, the loud customers cheering at the blackjack table all contribute to overriding that voice of reason telling them it’s time to call it a night.
And, as Bill Friedman, author of Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition, “Beauty doesn’t drive casino play at all… [G]ambling is a hyper experience. Nobody gambles to relax. They gamble for the adrenaline rush.” They don’t want a soothing, quiet environment; they want that sense of frenetic activity.
Loud flooring may also keep attention where the casino wants it: on the action. Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, says, “I think there is something to that. It is the same thing as putting canopies on top of tables, which has become popular. That lowers the ceiling. People don’t look up at the spaciousness and concentrate more where the action.” Likewise, they don’t look down, so their experience is limited to the game in front of them.
Crazy Casino Carpet Patterns Are Actually A Practical Choice
There are also practical reasons why casinos opt for highly patterned, busy, and colorful flooring. For one, it makes it easy to disguise spilled drinks, vomit, blood, and other stains. Many casinos operate 24 hours a day; this enables them to keep up appearances in between cleanings.
Speaking of cleaning, the vacuum is a big money-maker for casinos! People, especially if they’re pumped up and/or have had a few drinks, don’t always notice when they’ve dropped their chips. And if they do, they can be hard to spot on the floor. It’s no accident that blacks, reds, and greens are popular choices.
What’s the real reason behind busy casino flooring? A magician never reveals his tricks, and casinos aren’t in a hurry to give up theirs either. It’s a combination of psychological and practical concerns that can help businesses achieve their goals and keep those patrons playing.
East Coast Flooring & Interiors has extensive experience in casino flooring and is happy to help you find the design and functional qualities you need for your establishment. Contact our team today.