Las Vegas myth fixed: casinos injected with extra oxygen
Editor's Note: Vegas Mythbusters releases new entries every Monday, plus a bonus Friday flashback edition. Today’s entry in our ongoing series originally appeared on July 29, 2022.
One of the most persistent misconceptions about Vegas is that casinos pump oxygen into their casino floors to keep players alert and extend their playing time. Is this true or partially based on fact? If not, how did it start?
“The rumors about putting oxygen into casinos are not true,” said Tony Cabot, a distinguished gambling law scholar at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
There are several reasons for this.
For one thing, a typical Las Vegas casino contains 1 million cubic liters of air. According to Arizona heating, ventilation and air conditioning company Parker & Sons, increasing oxygen levels by just 1 percent would require the use of more than 40,000 cubic meters of oxygen per day, an incredible expense.
What's more, adding more oxygen creates a fire hazard because air with more than the normal 21 percent oxygen acts more like an accelerator, making any open flame burn hotter and faster at lower temperatures. Oxygen itself is nonflammable.
This would violate all fire insurance policies for the casino and if a fire occurred, the investigation would cause a PR nightmare.
"Casinos do a lot to encourage people to keep playing," Cabot said. "But pumping oxygen is not one of them. It's just one of the myths people like to spread about Las Vegas."
The author you can’t refuse
This myth comes from the fertile imagination of the late "The Godfather" author Mario Puzo.
In Puzo's 1978 novel "Fool's Day," casino owner Alfred Gronevelt regularly calls his civil engineer at 2 a.m. to "pass the casino's air-conditioning pumps." Inject pure oxygen so players don’t get tired.”
In the 45 years since the book was published, conspiracy theorists have spread this fiction as fact. Even some legitimate media outlets are getting in on the act. A 2006 BBC article established this myth as true, stating that "this psychological trick will be banned in the UK".
CASINO TIPS USE
Casinos are filled with things that entice players to keep playing. This includes loud music, pleasant smells, and freezing air conditioning. They don't hang clocks on the walls either.
You will almost never see clocks at any casino because they alert guests that it is time to leave the casino, which is not in the best interest of the casino," Cabot said."For the same reason, rarely There are casino windows that face the outside because patrons can tell the time of day by the amount of light coming in. "
When asked if casinos intentionally make it difficult to find exits, Cabot responded, "Well, sometimes it is, sometimes it's not." But you'll notice that the exits are designed to block any visible light from entering the gaming area for players. Enter.
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Source: www.casino.org
