When we were first posed this question back in March, 2008, we considered it one of the more bizarre requests we'd received via this column but on the strength of the number of options we found back then, combined with the additional ones we found this time around, and the fact that someone else is asking, we've come to the conclusion that it's evidently not that weird. Perhaps our perspective somes from having spent so much time in casinos and becoming -- dare we say it -- somewhat jaded?
Anyhow, thanks to our trusty research department we can give you lots of suggestions, starting with "Sounds of the Casino!" -- high-quality digital recordings of actual ambient casino sounds (including shrieks and coughing).
It's a three-track CD that runs for 75 minutes and the manufacturers suggest that you "play the CD in the background and put it on repeat or loop the next time you have a Las Vegas night as a school or church fund-raiser to make it sound like a real casino. Do the same if you have a Vegas-themed party in your home or a poker night!"
Okay, so far, so good. Then it starts getting a little weirder: "If you just like hearing the sounds of the casino, put it in your CD player in the car or listen while you jog!" Uh, right.
Next comes our favorite bit:
"If your hobby is advantage play in a casino, put it on in the background when practicing your craps, blackjack, or other skills in order to simulate the casino environment and make your practice sessions more like the real casino experience." Brilliant!
If you'd like to preview this soundtrack, which is available both as a CD or an MP3 download (both $19.95), you can hear a sample track by clicking here.
That was the only album-length option we came across, but there are some other options. Movies, TVs, and now websites often use sound-effect CDs to build or enhance a soundtrack, plus there's the whole cell phone ringtone market now, too.
One such example of casino sounds we found was from an outfit called shockwave-sound.com, which sells compilation CDs like "Casino Sounds: Slot Machines," "Casino Sounds, Set 1" (featuring tracks including "Casino ambience #2: casino hall, people chatting, multiple slot machines, and gambling sounds") and "Playing Cards and Poker Sounds." They sell the compilation CDs for between $19.95 and $29.95, or you can build your own, at $1.95 and up per track, selecting from such hits as "Stacking poker chips 1-10" and "Slot machine paying out many coins."
Another one we found that might be even better is www.audiosparx.com, which also sells effects by the track, of which there are at least 80 to choose from, including "1980s casino ambience" (1 min. 2 sec. for $2 to download to your PC or $2.99 as a ringtone), "1970s casino ambience" (same price for only 44 seconds), "Walking around a casino" (a 2 min. 15 sec. track that downloads at $8.30 to your computer for personal use, $2.99 for ringtone).
So, perhaps we've found the solution for the 1,300+ (32%) of voters who missed the sound of coin payouts in our July 1 Reader Poll about TITO slots. Simply download some of these tracks onto your iPod and build your own Las Vegas soundtrack for your next trip, complete with coin-jackpot effects and slot/video poker "win" noises (more than a few of you have alsom lamented the trend toward casinos and bars turning the sound effects off on their machines).
If you're really keen to complete the full casino-away-from-casino experience, why stop with audio? Many of the Las Vegas resorts that use signature fragrances in their air-conditioning systems offer scented products in their gift stores. Mercato at the Venetian, for example, offers that property's fragrance (you either love it or you hate it) in both scented candle and spray form and Mandalay Bay also sells its signature aromas in several forms in the hotel gift shop.
Some properties go even further. The Mirage has a store called The Mirage at Home, where you can purchase everything from the toiletries in their guest bathrooms to the sheets and pillowcases on your bed -- or even the bed itself. Here's a link to their brochure. The Homestore at Wynn's the same.
