Casinos are a bright spectacle of lights and colours. Flashing signs with attractive offerings all over. It’s no secret that casinos know exactly how to attract hopeful winners. Casinos promise an exciting, sometimes thrilling night out, full of possibility. Most casinos even offer free refreshments to guests. Of course, the biggest draw in would have to be the big jackpots. However, one tactic used by most casinos to attract a crowd you might not have even noticed. Scent marketing is the subtle, yet powerful tool used to benefit the casino market in various ways.
The Science Behind Smell
Why would scent be a part of the casino mindset? This is because scent has a strong influence on your emotions and memories. Smell has the ability to take you back in time. It can transport you back to a memory, and remind you of exactly how you felt during that time. Smell is our most sensitive sense too, giving even the smallest sniff lots of persuasion.
Casinos can use scents to impact their customers in different ways. However, getting this scent right can be a challenge. This is because every person interprets scent differently. Our experience of a scent isn’t something genetically defined either, it’s simply a matter of experience. For example, some people enjoy the scent of cinnamon. It takes them back to childhood memories of Sunday pancake breakfasts. On the other hand, some may find the smell of cinnamon too strong and unappealing. Scent marketing combats this by mixing various scents into one smoothly blended scent. The scent can also be customised to the space or brand preference. This way, scents can evoke the right moods, even in different people.
The Original Purpose of Scenting Casinos
Scenting in casinos didn’t always have a science behind it. It all started with a simple problem. The casino experience smelled of smoke. 
Cigarette and cigar smoke that is, and it’s a relatively common occurrence in most casinos. Smoking in casinos coupled with spilt alcohol and the sweat of nervous players makes for quite a stench.
Nowadays, most businesses have outlawed smoking indoors. However, casinos are one of the places that have kept with the tradition. The control of smoke odour is therefore still a problem. Good casinos ensure measures to clean the smell out of the furniture and decor regularly. For example, casinos get the carpets shampooed every month and replace air filters regularly. They could even go as far as replacing the ceiling tiles now and again.
However, the smell can persist through the extensive cleaning. This is where scenting comes in. The implementation of scents in casinos helps decrease the strong smell, to the point where you wouldn’t even know the smell was there in the first place. This helps casinos keep the air free of smoke smell and retain customers for longer periods.
Today’s Bottom-Line Benefit
With the age-old problem of casino smoke smell gone, casino’s can recognise a number of other benefits that come with scent marketing.
Return Customers
An obvious benefit of scent is happier customers. Does this increase in experience then mean the return of these customers? A study conducted in casinos showed that scent increased returns to the casino by 45%, where the unscented area showed no difference. There was also no difference shown in a second area scented differently, showing that the type of scent also affected the number of return visitors.
Longer Time Spend
Aromas and scents have the ability to affect the amount of time a player spends in the casino too. Floral scents have been shown to influence playing time by up to 50%. This percentage is even higher when the concentration of the scent is increased. This shows how scent greatly affects the overall consumer behaviour of casino-goers.
The Chance to Sell Your Smell
Casinos now have an even greater advantage to a pleasant smell. The ability to sell scents to approving customers provides yet another way to increase revenue. If you like the smell in a casino, there is a chance you can purchase it in a little bottle for home. The idea of selling a scent has been used by celebrities for years and can bring in over $50 million a year (for particularly well-known celebs). This idea is a great way for casinos to benefit financially from their own signature scent.
As a whole, scenting stands to benefit casinos in various ways. If you want to find out more about enhancing your business space with the use of scent marketing, contact BrandScents today.