Las Vegas is the mecca of all-things gambling. Tourism and gambling accounts for the majority of the city’s revenue, and without it, the city would likely be another small desert town. It’s important to consider how casinos entice gamblers and encourage them to stay.
Wynn Casino Website
Wynn Casino is one of the prominent casino-resorts on the Las Vegas strip. Established in 2005, the casino has a long history of success. Their website provides a unique case study on how they market to tourists and gamblers. Most obviously, their name is “Wynn,” synonymous with “Win.” Diving into their website, they show people smiling and laughing. Some of them are drinking poolside, while others are crowded around a poker table. There is no indication of failure, in fact it’s the opposite. Everyone is “Wynning…” One of their ads even declares “The largest guaranteed prize pool in live tournament history is coming to Wynn Las Vegas.” Phrases like “guaranteed” make winning seem so tangible.
Can you even fail here?
Elaborate marketing like this makes it seem like you can’t fail. There are two sides to this argument. For people going on vacation, losing $200 for a few hours of fun is not really “failure.” In fact, the average hotel room at Wynn costs $500 a night, so most of these guests are not worried about losing a hand of Blackjack. For others, Wynn Casino is just another place to gamble. Sure, there may be complementary beverages and and fancier poker tables, but those people are there to gamble, not to take a vacation. A 500 square foot basement, would provide the same experience they are looking for.
Failure as a function of your environment
Ultimately, your response to failure depends a lot on the environment you’re in. When you’re losing a couple hundred at a resort and can relax in the pool after, you don’t beat yourself up too much. When you’re there on a Tuesday night after work, and you lose your day’s paycheck, you begin to reevaluate yourself. Casinos will continue to spend hundreds of millions in marketing, in order to ensure they attract both types of gamblers.
Sources:
“Las Vegas Casino & Resort.” Las Vegas Luxury Hotels at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort, https://www.wynnlasvegas.com/casino.
Failing at the Casino 