I live about 10 minutes from Atlantic City and I found this blog post especially interesting - and true.
From a design/experience perspective, casinos are fascinating places:
1) There are no windows. Gamblers have no idea whether it’s light or dark or sunny or rainy outside.
2) There are no clocks. Dealers are forbidden from wearing watches. Time becomes meaningless.
3) There’s intentionally poor navigation. They are built like mazes meaning it’s usually tough to find a way out.
4) There’s a constant barrage of noises. Slot machines spin, games ding and dong, coins hit metal, there’s the pitter patter of the people running the games, etc. Many of these sounds, like the ringing of the slots, is there to give you a false sense of hope (“If all of those bells are ringing, somebody must be winning!”).
5) Loose slot machines — ones that pay out more often — are placed near highly trafficked areas (e.g. the aisles, change booth, restaurants, etc.) so more people witness winners.
6) There’s constant research on all aspects of the sensory experience: scents, colors, interior design, and the angles of lights (e.g. light that hits people’s foreheads is a no-no because it apparently drains gamblers of energy).
7) The attire (or lack thereof) of everyone who works there contributes to the atmosphere (e.g. dealers in uniforms, pit bosses in suits, servers in skimpy outfits, etc.)
For the other seven, click over to 37 Signals corporate blog.