This is a QoD FAQ that we address from time to time, as we know it's a topic that concerns a large number of readers, at both ends of the spectrum.
To quote a previous correspondent, "Every time I visit the Venetian, I notice that the casino has a distinct fragrance. It's very noticeable when you come in from the outside. But the odor is not something that I particularly recognize. I've heard that some people dislike the smell, even to the point of claiming that it causes them breathing problems. However, personally I really like it. Not only does it not bother me, but it actually makes me feel good to be there. (The smell even causes me to think when I arrive, 'Aaah....I'm at the Venetian!') I'm certain that they must be piping something into the casino. So, my question is, what's in the air at the Venetian*?"
Contained within their question is part of the answer to yours. While stories about casinos circulating oxygen to keep players awake have been discounted as urban myth—not least because of the increased fire hazard that pumping pure oxygen around would pose—many properties freely admit that they fragrance the air in their casinos and one of the reasons behind this is to create a sense of well-being and brand loyalty.
Although the human sense of smell is feeble when compared to that of many animals, it’s still very acute and smells can evoke strong emotional reactions. Our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, which is thought to be the seat of emotion. As the ever-growing number of air fresheners, scented candles, essential oils, and perfumes on the market confirms, smell seems to be becoming a sense that we pay more attention to, and certainly a pleasant aroma is more likely to make you stick around than a noxious one.
As far as casinos are concerned, we understand that it was the Mirage who pioneered the whole casino-aroma fad, back in 1989 when the resort opened. They wanted to reinforce the resort’s tropical theme and experimented with circulating the scent of coconut butter and suntan oil throughout the property—and people liked it! So other casinos followed suit. Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut is now apparently the largest scented building in the world.
As the burgeoning science of Aromachology (not to be confused with the less-than-scientific world of aromatherapy) is becoming established, certain scents do appear to have a genuine psychological and physical effect on us when we ingest them through our nasal passages: vanilla apparently has a calming and comforting effect, for example, while lavender is a clinically-proven relaxant. And, of course, from the casinos’ point of view, odds are that if the place makes you feel good and stay longer, then you’ll wind up spending more money. (We read of one study that allegedly took place in an unidentified Las Vegas casino, where the amount of money gambled in a slot machine increased by 45% when the site was odorized with a pleasant aroma.)
Another reason for fragrancing the casino environment is for the more practical reason that it masks the kinds of unpleasant odors that you often detect in those properties that don’t perfume their environments or at least ventilate them well: When you combine several thousand perspiring, smoking, eating, beer-spilling people in a confined area, you’re just asking for olfactory trouble.
The principal company behind many of the casino smells you've smelled is called AromaSys, which bills itself as the "premier provider of custom-scented environments for resort, casino, elite hotel, and spa properties in North America." Their PR spiel puts it pretty succinctly:
"Multinational brands and leading retailers already know that customised scents not only help define a brand but also help to sell product. It is scientifically proven that in a scented environment, customers will linger for longer."
We've read an old statement from founder Mark Peltier, in which he explained, "Starting with the Mirage Resort in Las Vegas, we have now provided over 1,000 systems and over 100 aroma blends covering millions of square feet. Comfortable guests stay and play longer. Using our patented systems and customized aromas called Aromatic Symphonies, we offer the gaming industry the most experience and value."
These aromas, including the tropical coconut, lavender, citrus garden, and vanilla that are particularly popular with Las Vegas casinos, are often not natural, but synthetic replicas created in a lab and dispersed by machines to set a mood and encourage customers to linger and, hence, spend more money. Many of them are custom-designed "signature scents" for an individual property, so their uniqueness is also about helping to establish and reinforce the brand (that "Aaah, the Venetian" effect).
While some people aren't bothered by it and, on the contrary, really like these aromas, other people's reactions range from mild annoyance to severe allergy attacks, fears about health and safety issues, and conspiracy theories.
Pelletier disputes the findings of the casino study cited above that concluded that a particular aroma induced patrons to gamble more. "There are no aromas that make people gamble. It's got enormous appeal for sensationalism, but it's not true."
We understand the American Lung Association has received several complaints about scented locations triggering allery attacks and other respiratory problems, but to date the trend towards fragrancing public areas in hotel and retail outlets shows no signs of abating; on the contrary, an increasing number of properties are tapping into the power of aromachology.
For other readers' take on casino aromas, we'll refer you to a Reader Poll we ran on this subject back in 2008.
*By the way, the answer to that question, "What's in the air at the Venetian?", is that it's a signature frangrance called "Seduction" produced for them by AromaSys, and it's available in spray form from the Venezia Gift Shop.
