Well, we're not sure if casinos hire psychologists per se, but we do know that they employ any number of psychological principles to "enhance player engagement" and maximize revenue.
For example, the age-old practice of the lack of clocks and natural light is a psychological strategy, as are near-miss slot mechanics, losses disguised as wins, and celebratory sound effects. These are all rooted in cognitive and emotional manipulation.
Of course, comps, promotions, and direct marketing leverage gamblers' natural reward systems that drive them to engage in behaviors and experiences that are expressly designed to acrrue to the casino's bottom line. And we strongly suspect that "aromachologists" have helped design scents that influence mood, creating a sense of relaxation and excitement and increasing impulsive decision-making. It's similar with visual and auditory stimuli.
Though it's not publicized, it's almost certain that game designers for companies like IGT, Aristocrat, and Light and Wonder consult with behavioral experts to fine-tune engagement loops for both on-premises and mobile gambling.
Indeed, in her 2012 book Addiction by Design, cultural anthropologist Natasha Dow Schül explores how machine gambling in Las Vegas is engineered with psychological precision to actually foster addiction. Her study, based on 15 years of field research here in Las Vegas, shows how the rhythm of electronic gambling blurs the line between human and machine, compulsion and control, risk and reward. This is especially true of video poker, which pulls players into a trancelike state, the “machine zone”; daily worries, social demands, even bodily awareness all disappear and addicts play not to win, but simply to keep playing for as long as possible, even to the extent of physical and financial exhaustion.
This is not by accident. It's by design, as the title of Schül's book indicates. It's deep psychology and whether or not actual clinicians, therapists, or shrinks are involved, to us, is inapposite. Casinos and gambling suppliers certainly employ experts of one kind or another in the field to understand and apply these principles effectively.
Do the manipulation and exploitation of people, especially gamblers, present ethical gray areas for soft and social scientists bought and paid for by gambling businesses? That's a matter of opinion. But one thing's sure: The dominant focus of commercial gaming is profit and psychology is often used as a tool to manipulate human nature and behavior in favor of the house.
