Assignment 3 - Casino

From this assignment my aim was to understand the concept of Ethnography , an idea that helps in designing enviroments for others. In order of doing so, i visited the local Gala Casino with a group of friends because this was an unfamiliar enviroment to me, making me feel awkard and more observant of the way a people behave inside a  Casino.

 I reluctantly decided not to drink alchohal before entering the Casino, as this would of probably affected my observation skills. This was my first ever visit to a Casino. Beforehand, all i knew was  from what i had seen in one of my favourite movies, "Casino",  starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The film shows an indepth understanding of how a Casino works, alongside the usual Martin Scorsese themes of Greed, deception, money, power, and murder  between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife.

I decided at the cash machine outside the Casino , since this was my first time and to experiance this in full  that myself should try my hand at a small £10 limit gamble (which i would soon loose a quick 30minutes later). Before entering the main gambling rooms of the Casino, i was comfronted by a 20stone Bouncer at the entrance who demanded for my I.D . This was all done without a smile or any form of pleasentness. Straight away this made me feel uncomfortable and rather intimidated. At this point, i started to think if this was all an act of the Bouncers roll in the Casino so from the second you enter , it was made clear that the rules of the Casino will not be broken.

My next stage was to become a member of the Casino which meant filling out a small form and once again showing proof of identity. This idea of "Members Only" and physically having a members card with my name on it made me feel more at ease. Thus more confident in spending my money gambling.

Entering the main hall of gambling i was hit with buzz of noise and flashing lights. It was hard to stay focused on anything because of what was happening around me. I walked around for around 30seconds before making my first bet on the Roulette table (loosing my first £5) , the only game i was familiar with. I felt that i had to sit down as there was little movement around the gambling areas. The colour Blue seemed to be everywhere, a tactic used by the Casino because Blue has a relaxing effect on the mind and body making you more confident and calm. After my first loss , i decided to sit out of the way and observe.

There was a lot going on to keep your head on track making you feel sick and dizzy. However, I noticed there was no windows in the main hall, making it all seem very personal which led onto observing the type of people inside the Casino. Apart from the common group of drunk students who were simply grabbed in by the bright lights and chance at doubling their student loan , there was a much deeper side. There was alot of Asians gambling at high stakes. I believe this is due partly to the Asian culture being very big on the concept of "Luck" and "Fate" . Two major factors which were being shown all around the Casino. However, the Asians did seem most happy out of all groups which shows that they may just accept a loss as its just the way it was meant to be.

Most gamblers looked as if they were kidding themselves on, certain they were always going to win. Mainly,  the older male which dominated most of the Casino. In a way, it was a sad sight . I eventually gathered the feeling some of them were gambling their families away by the look of it . In one case, a middle age man sat with his head down talking to himself fiddling with his small stack of poker chips.

It was eay to tell who was winning. I found whoever was standing seemed to be the happiest looking and most animated. The seating arrangements around the machines and tables were backless stools , not designed for comfort. This portraying the quick snappy decisions the Casino want its customers to make. Oppositely, the bar and restraunt area is simply a gimic to the customer , making them feel comfortable before entering the mind-controlling gambling arena. 

Ethnography allows us to understand beyond what we just simply see infront of us. It gives us an insight into how the world is designed for different purposes , showing varying patterns and behaviours that we can understand both immediately and reflectively.