The Psychology of How Casino Background Music Impacts Gamblers’ Moods

  • Reading time:7 mins read
  • Post category:Music Discussion

While gambling has been traced to have begun in Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE (before the common era), the first casino only made its appearance in 1638 in Italy. Since then, casinos have become a staple of many countries, with gambling fans flocking to them for fun and excitement.

These gambling locations have evolved to become entertainment centres, offering chances to win, good food, and places to enjoy various other activities. Alongside this evolution, casino owners have streamlined the entire casino experience from the moment a player walks through the doors. 

Much of this has got to do with the layout, design, and atmosphere a casino offers. However, there is one more thing that casino operators have paid careful attention to that many punters may not pay attention to—music.

Music in Casinos

From the instant you enter a casino, the variety of sounds will overwhelm your senses and entice you to start playing. This draw to gamble isn’t by chance. It has been carefully engineered, with multiple studies on which music is the best to pump through casino speakers. 

This is because music interacts with the subconscious of anyone who hears it. Whether it be a slow tune to cause relaxation or an upbeat jingle to generate excitement, studies have shown that one of the best ways to affect someone’s mood is through music.

Because of this fact, casinos employ music in their arsenal of tricks to lure players in. Music is also used to make gamblers want to stay, and in some cases, it even helps affect their mood, so they’re willing to spend more. 

Background Music

One of the first types of music you’ll encounter when you enter a casino is the background music playing in the entrances, corridors, and even bathrooms. Depending on the casino’s layout, the same music will be played on the gambling floor.

As a standard, this music will be a mix of two genres: jazz and pop. These are chosen for different reasons, yet each has a defined purpose and achieves a specific requirement regarding the atmosphere they create.

Jazz (or alternative slow-tempo music)

Jazz and any other type of music that carries a slow or relaxed tempo are used to make players feel at ease and comfortable. Due to the peaceful nature of music in this genre, studies have shown that players feel more at home while it is playing and can quickly lose track of time. 

Not realizing how long you’ve been at a casino is perfect for casino operators, as it allows you to play for longer and spend more. However, this music is also played to create a relaxing atmosphere, which can be nice when browsing https://czechcasinohub.com/

Calming music has been linked to higher concentration and focus when performing a specific task. When gambling, this type of music allows better focus on placing bets and deciding what to wager and what play strategies to employ. 

Pop

Another familiar genre played in the background at casinos is pop music. Pop is rated as the most popular genre of music in the world. As such, most people are familiar with the latest releases in the genre. These songs hold mass appeal, which casinos use to their advantage.

Playing popular songs attracts players from almost any age group. However, younger adults are most susceptible to being pulled in by the latest pop song. Coincidentally, this demographic of players is known to spend more recklessly and is the target audience of almost all casinos. 

Targeted Sounds

Aside from the music played over the primary system, many casinos also use targeted sound effects generated by the gambling machines on a casino floor. One of the most common of these is the winning jingle played when a player wins. The most popular of these sounds is the melody of coins falling into a catch tray.

These tunes add to the mixture of sounds and make players think that others are actively and, more importantly, regularly winning around them. This encourages players to continue gambling until they strike it lucky too. 

Game Music

While casinos rely on background music to affect the mood of those playing table games, most players prefer slot games. Here, casinos can take full advantage of music to target specific reactions and responses from gamblers.

Most slots employ the same rule of slow and calming music between spins. However, things change drastically whenever a spin or a win occurs. At these times, the music becomes more upbeat and exciting. Whether via jingles, bells, or funky tunes, sounds are employed to hype the player’s mood as a spin takes place. 

Upbeat music encourages gamblers to make riskier and continued bets based on their emotional reaction to the music. These reactions are linked to the release of additional dopamine, oxytocin, and adrenaline in the brain each time upbeat music is encountered. 

Therefore, hyped-up sounds (alongside the flashing lights of most slot machines) make players want to play bolder bets and worry less about the amount they are spending. 

These same upbeat music tactics are actively used on the online casinos and games reviewed by SvenskaCasino and other similar sites. However, because online casinos lack the background music of physical casinos, these sounds are sometimes even more loud and upbeat.

In brick-and-mortar locations, funky tunes from slots are paired with the background music that helps the player focus on playing. This dual-pronged approach that can quickly help gamblers lose track of time is how many players can play for hours on end without noticing. 

Conclusion

From the relaxing tunes experienced over the main sound system of a casino to the overwhelming cacophony of upbeat tunes and jingles from hundreds of slot machines, music is a valuable tool in a casino’s arsenal.

While there is no doubt that this music helps players enjoy their gambling experience more, the truth behind how these sounds impact the mood of punters should make anyone considering gambling a bit warier. After all, it may be too easy to spend more than planned or gamble longer than you wanted, thanks to the assortment of wonderful melodies around you.

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