The Art & Science of Scent in Casinos

The Art & Science of Scent in Casinos

Casinos are all about customer experience. From the interior design to the right mix of games, enticing guests to drive real objectives like time on device and loyalty is both an art and a science. When crafting a pleasant sensory experience for their guests, casinos employ scent as a powerful way to deepen the connection with their players.

The Science of Scent in Casinos

A study found that casinos with scent had a 45% greater increase in return players than casinos without scent. Casinos with pleasant smells induced a better mood in guests, making them more likely to play. According to scent experts, scents associated with cleanliness perform best in casinos. Light floral scents, which people consider soothing and relaxing, also perform well. As a result of this research, many leading gaming brands pride themselves on their unique, signature scents. Some even offer their scent as sprays or candles that guests can take home, monetizing their investment.

Also, wearing masks in public has become a new normal. Because of this, businesses are putting even more emphasis on scent marketing. Scent can play a vital role in reducing anxiety and in communicating a sense of cleanliness.

The primary reason that scent marketing is so effective in gaming is that our sense of smell powerfully ties to our emotions and memory than our other senses.

From an investment standpoint, casino brands create a deeper emotional connection with their players when deploying the right scent and doing it the right way.

The Art of Scent in Casinos

For thousands of years, humans have used fragrance to augment experiences. The artistry of fragrance developed along with these practices and was formalized in France several hundred years ago. While the art of perfumery and fragrance designs rests on top of scientific process, the creative piece is what makes a scent experience truly stand out.  

Choosing the right scent for a space requires a highly creative collaboration. It combines the business objectives of the user with the experiential and aesthetic elements that support the objective.  The scent should be congruent with the other sensory elements. For example, a space with lots of light, bright colors, and clean design would match better to a blend of citrus and aromatics rather than a rich, woody, spicy and complex composition.

The creative process is important and it should also be a lot of fun. Contact our team here at Scentbridge to get started on a scent marketing strategy for your casino.