Do casinos pump oxygen into the air?

The simple answer is "no". Casinos do not pump oxygen into the air. It's a myth. But where did this myth come from, and what does it actually mean? In this article, we'll take a look at:

WHAT IS "PUMPING OXYGEN"?

The concept of pumping oxygen implies that by deliberately boosting the air with more oxygen, casinos ensure that their players are more alert, and potentially engaged in gambling for a longer time.

It is a common misconception, although increasing oxygen concentration is indeed widely used and can be beneficial, mostly for medical and healthcare purposes, as it helps with breathing and various treatments.

On top of that, supplemental oxygen can be prescribed for patients with respiratory problems to ensure they get enough oxygen to improve their health condition.

WHAT EFFECTS DOES INCREASED OXYGEN IN THE AIR HAVE ON PEOPLE?

For patients with respiratory problems or low levels of oxygen in their body, supplemental oxygen can help relieve their symptoms. They may feel less fatigued, and it can improve their sleep and mood as well.

When a person with normal oxygen levels breathes in higher-than-normal amounts of oxygen in the air, their body receives more of the gas which it already has and uses for a number of physiological processes. It can result in euphoria or even lightheadedness.

This is caused simply by increased oxygen availability in the brain, and it can be similar to how some people feel at high altitudes or during adrenaline activities like diving.

In general, healthy people can breathe higher oxygen concentrations in brief, controlled amounts. Take the athletes for example, they sometimes use oxygen while recovering from specific medical procedures to heal faster.

However, excessive oxygen intake can lead to many issues or potentially harmful effects, such as oxygen toxicity. Breathing air that contains more oxygen than the usual 21% found in the Earth's atmosphere can cause organ damage, seizures, and even death.

DEBUNKING THE MYTH

How do we know that casinos do not pump oxygen into their facilities? Well, first of all, there is no proof that they do. Furthermore, this process would pose significant long-term health and safety concerns, like fire hazards.

Oxygen is flammable

Oxygen is a highly reactive gas that increases the probability of catching fire. Boosting the air with oxygen in a closed environment such as a casino would dramatically raise the flammability of materials as well as the overall fire risk, making it very unsafe.

It could be illegal

Another thing is, in most jurisdictions, intentionally changing the oxygen levels in public spaces would likely face strict regulations related to air quality control, which are designed to protect the public from potential hazards.

For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States sets strict guidelines on indoor air quality and the acceptable levels of various gases, including oxygen. Intentionally increasing oxygen levels above the norm could violate the law.

Costly and unethical

Despite it is technically possible to pump oxygen into a room using specialized equipment like oxygen concentrators or compressed gas cylinders, to maintain a certain amount of oxygen in a large, open space such as casino would be incredibly difficult and expensive.

Moreover, monitoring systems would need to be installed, and many people would need to operate those systems. As a result, the information that casinos increase the level of oxygen in the air would spread quickly.

This would cause severe problems for the casino, since the very idea of pumping oxygen in the casino to keep unaware players gambling, is highly unethical and shady.

WHERE DOES THIS MYTH COME FROM?

Since we already know this myth is false and casinos do not pump oxygen, how did this story get started in the first place? There is a straightforward explanation in this case as well: from fiction.

The author of The Godfather, Mario Puzo, wrote another novel called Fools Die. In this book, the owner of a fictitious Las Vegas casino pumped oxygen into the casino to prevent gamblers from getting tired, and the myth was born.

Since the novel was published in 1978, there has been constant speculation that real-life casinos use the same tactic. The truth is, however, that while casinos are well-ventilated and frequently cold, the oxygen levels remain unchanged.

HOW CASINOS REALLY KEEP PLAYERS ENGAGED

Just because the oxygen myth is false does not mean casinos do not employ various tactics and strategies to keep their customers in their establishments for as long as possible. These strategies are well-known, and certain patterns that have a psychological impact on players have been identified and analyzed in studies.

For example, players are drawn to the unpredictable nature of slots, which creates a sense of excitement and anticipation. Even though the odds are usually stacked against them, players are naturally drawn to the idea of winning.

Similarly, players are impacted by near misses, which are often seen on slot machines. These near misses trigger a feeling of almost winning, encouraging them to continue spinning in the hope of a win. The near-miss effect has been shown to activate the same brain areas associated with actual wins.

Also, different casino games are engineered to appeal to players' sensory experiences—using lights, sounds, and colors to heighten the excitement.

TO CONCLUDE

Pumping oxygen into casinos to keep players awake and engaged is clearly not true. The concept itself is dangerous, unethical and impractical, given that the effects of oxygen enrichment on concentration are only temporary and mild.

Even if true, this strategy is inefficient in comparison to other, more effective methods used by casinos to influence player behavior, such as lighting, sounds, and reward programs.