This summer, my family and I went to Las Vegas. I didn’t enjoy it very much.
The flashing lights, the noise and the casinos were incredibly overwhelming. It made me have a very different perspective on gambling and on casinos themselves.
The competing noise from people talking, music playing, the slot machines, and people playing games is incredibly distracting. There are also the LED lights used on the slot machines combined with the low house lighting, intended to keep the people inside focused on gambling over the passage of time.
According to a piece by e-architect.com on Oct. 21, 2019, the lack of windows and dark environment are intentional. The goal is to have the people inside remain unaware of the passage of time. If you can’t see the sun has set, then how will you know?
We had to go through the hotel casino to get anywhere else in the building and its incredibly easy to get lost. There are very few signs to direct you and there are so many paths to go down. You could easily get caught going in circles and the more time you spend in it, the more tempting it is to put in a few dollars.
I wasn’t allowed to because I’m younger than 21. However, both my parents wound up playing the slot machines on several occasions. It was always as we were making our way through the casino to get somewhere else.
While I could stand and watch due to being over 18, my sister could only walk through. My sister and I had to wait for them outside. It was only a few minutes admittedly, and we were old enough not to care. However, if I think about the younger kids that were there, or ones who have parents with a gambling addiction, it makes me worry.
No amount of “Play safe” or “Know your limit” signs will help someone struggling with gambling addiction, especially in an environment that is more focused on enabling and exploiting that behaviour.
In my opinion, there isn’t anything wrong with a card game or two and betting some money on it. However, everything about how casinos are designed is intended to exploit people and get as much money from them as possible.
