How to Spot and Avoid Casino Traps

Most people who go to the casino do so under the assumption that they’re going to be spending money. The games cost cash to play, one needs to eat while they’re in the casino area, and most cases require people to get a hotel room if they travel. But what many gamblers don’t expect is that casinos have a few extra tricks in the bag to get them to spend more money.

If you know these traps beforehand, you can save yourself lots of money by not spending it on some of the frivolous things casinos want you to.

Casinos don’t want you to value money

Anyone who has visited a casino knows that they use chips in the place of money. One main reason this is done is to keep all of the real money within a safe location so there isn’t tons of bills and coins floating around waiting to be stolen. But another reason casinos do this is so people forget that they are dealing with real money. When you’re playing with chips instead of real cash you are less likely to think in terms of how much money is being spent when playing.

Video poker and slot machines also employ this technique to a degree since they provide electronic tokens once you’ve put your money or chips into the machine. And when you’re playing with electronic tokens instead of something closer to physical money then the tokens can certainly lose value in your mind. The key thing you have to remember with chips and electronic money is that they do indeed represent real, hard-earned cash so you can’t lose track of this fact.

Casinos want you to forget about time

Besides hoping that you forget about the value of money, casinos also want to you forget about the time you spend there. And this makes perfectly good sense because the longer a person is in a casino, the more money they are going to be spending. Whenever you’re in a casino look around and notice how there is no clocks and few windows so as to make you forget about time. In order to avoid falling into the trap of losing track of time, make sure to bring your own watch or cell phone so you know what time it is.

The pace is always fast at casinos

In addition to helping people forget about time, casinos also want to ensure that games are played at a very fast pace. The dealers hand out cards as quickly as possible and the machines spin quickly so that you don’t have time to think about how much money is being spent. The best thing to do to avoid gambling money at a rapid rate is to double check your cards or bets at tables and slows down your play on the machines.

Free drinks definitely come with a price

One of the perks casinos provide is free drinks to the people who are playing games at their establishment. And the longer you’re playing games, the more free drinks you are going to receive so it seems like a good deal for those who enjoy gambling. But you have to be especially careful about these supposedly free drinks if they contain alcohol in them. 

The drunker a person gets, the more free they are going to be with their money so it’s only a matter of time before you lose it all when drinking. Waiters and waitresses know who is getting drunker and how many free drinks to feed them as well. That’s why you really need to be careful about how much alcohol you drink so as to avoid the trap of losing money while intoxicated.

Bigger comp is given to those that spend more

Even if you are only a recreational gambler it’s always a good idea to look into comp programs so you can take advantage of every perk casinos give out. That being said, you still can’t let a casino make you feel like a special VIP through major comp after winning a large amount of money. Casinos don’t want you to leave with their money and, if you do leave, they’ll do what they can to keep you coming back with increased comp. Any time you score a large win don’t let the comp entice you to stay until all winnings have been lost.

But above all, make sure that you have a great time at casinos and make sure that enjoyment is your top priority.