What Is Casino Culture?

Short Answer: The public side of casinos can vary a lot depending on location. In touristy areas, a casino will attract wealthier customers and therefore have higher table minimums, be placed next to a nice hotel, and close to a restaurant like a steakhouse. In small towns, many clients may be local people and the table or slot minimums can be smaller. Either way, the people going inside tend to be ready for fun, the people inside are obsessed with the action of the game and suspicious of anyone around them, and the ones leaving often looked either dazed and stoic or noticeably about to cry. It is a highly competitve environment, with continuous noise, staff with an unusual cold formality, and the slightly concerning ever present security guards in the background.

The type of people a casino attracts will vary depending on it's location. And the rules, governing bodies, and gaming commissions will vary from country to country.

In my area, the law mandates that casinos be run by a hotel or resort. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see a big hotel, a restaurant (like a steakhous), and a casino situated together. These types of casinos are for people who have significantly more money. There may be six such casinos with a couple miles of each other because that is the tourist district near an airport. For them, the casino might be seen more as a form of entertainment and they may only do such an activity a few times in their life.

In contrast, the small town or city casino that serves a local or non-tourist region will often attract older folks of retirment age [younger people seem to be heading to online casinos more]. These are locals who probably do not have the proper funds to be pplaying in a casino and who are effected more when they lose. These are more likely to become regular players and more at risk of a gambling addiction.

Then there are the many exceptions. In particular are the holidays. Go to even a local casino near New Years Day and the people seem more cheerful, relaxed, and more like they are there for entertainment. This almost looks like the happy advertisements the casinos provide. But a careful look around will also show those who are struggling.

There is also the stark reminder, not unique to the casino but more just part of city life, of the poor people seen by those who are wagering. One will walk past the homeless lady that sleeps on the bare concrete sidewalk outside of the casino. The irony of those who go inside to lose money while someone who lacks food is outside waiting for help.

Casino Culture

The cultural aspects of a casino are weird. The society that meets and interacts inside have strange habits. The staff have a cold formality. They do their job. They might politely talk if you force them, but it is not warm and their real thoughts are on the complex job of running the table games or working the cash cage. Both regular and irregular players get lost in their own little world trying to beat the slots, the cards, the dice, or whatever it is they are wagering. They tend to be wary of other players and distance themselves.

The online forums that deal with casinos and gambling are just as weird. Most of the activity seems to focus on complaints against casinos that refuse to release money. This obviously happens more with unregulated casinos that are so prevalent online. The online forums also focus on sharing information on which games might offer a slight advantage or the merits and problems of the many varied betting systems that are out there. The same information gets hashed and rehashed a thousand times.

This page is under construction. My apologies for any misspellings, repeated text, missing references, etc. Please visit again later for a more complete treatment of this topic.