- If you’ve ever been inside a casino, you’ve probably heard slot dings. But have you heard a jackpot?
- Cash registers ringing signify fortune while jackhammers mean the opposite.
- Online casinos use similar sounds along with talk show applause.
Have you ever wondered why casinos are so noisy?
It’s not just because they don’t want you to hear your watch or anything. All of those slots dinging and people hollering combine to create an atmosphere that gets inside of your head.
The hope is that all this noise will inspire you to take risks and keep playing. That’s also known as getting “drilled” into the casino’s idea of what’s fun.
But have you ever stopped to wonder what some of those casino sounds really mean? I’m not talking about the jackpot blaring either.
Some of the lesser-known sound effects that you might here in the background have unique , too.
Reasons to Play Casino Games for Fun | AskTheGamblersIf you’ve ever been in a casino and thought, “Man, what do casino cash register sounds means?” we’re going to explore that and more below.
1. Slot Machine Dings and Bings
Casino noise engineering usually starts with the slots.
Most people who enter a casino aren’t there to play roulette or baccarat. They head straight for the rows and rows of one-armed bandits, eager to try their luck at hitting it big.
Since most slots don’t pay out very often, casinos like to make sure players know when they do hit something. And since most slot machines these days have dozens if not hundreds of lines, there are lots of opportunities to win something small.
That’s where all the different pings and dings come from.
Winning any amount on a slot machine used to mean nothing but the triple jingle, but nowadays, each winning combination triggers its own little sound effect. Some machines even talk to you, which can get pretty grating after awhile.
Incidentally, casinos used to pipe in music to get people to keep playing, but copyright laws forced them to stop that practice. So, the next time you’re listening to the Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler” and think to yourself, “I know everything that song says already,” you can relax, because you’re not going crazy. The casino just turned the music off.
But what do casino sound effects mean?
Do they tell us our futures?
Nope. They simply let us know we’ve won enough money to buy another spin or two.
By the way, did you know you can get slot machine sounds for your phone?
Well, you can, but that would be weird, right?
2. Jackpots
If you’ve ever won a significant amount of money in a slot machine, you know all about the jackpot sound effect.
Everyone within a 100 foot radius knows, too.
Casinos want everyone to hear a jackpot because they figure some of the onlookers will feel lucky (no pun intended) and decide to start feeding coins (or tokens) into the machine next to the one that just spit out a wad of ones.
The truth is, the specific sounds used for jackpots were borrowed from vending machines.
Back in the day when vending machines only dispensed things like gum and toys, they developed a distinctive bell and two rings to let customers know they had received their selection successfully.
Casino engineers adopted that sound for jackpots, only instead of two rings and a bell, they spliced the sounds together to make a single, attention grabbing tone.
These days, jackpot sounds have evolved to become much more elaborate. In fact, some sound more like fanfare than anything a vending machine might produce.
What do casino jackpot sounds mean?
They signify good fortune, of course.
Personally, I prefer the classic two rings and bell, but that’s just me.
If you want to hear what some of the biggest progressive jackpots sound like when they drop, check out this video.
3. Coin Ramp
There are two types of coin ramps casinos use.
One indicates that the house has just made a bundle, and the other lets you know you’ve won a few bucks.
The jackpot ramp is a gradual increase in the volume and pace of quarter sounds. It builds slowly at first, giving the impression that the machine is filling up with currency. Then it crescendos to a loud roar as all those quarters reach the hopper at once.
It’s very effective, particularly if the jackpot happens to be on a bank of machines rather than a single unit. That way, several ramp sounds merge into one epic chorus of wealth.
The other type of coin ramp is much faster. It drops handfuls of quarters onto the tray at a time, mixing in a few singular bills for good measure.
This effect is used whenever a player wins a modest sum of money.
So, what do casino coin sounds mean?
They are the auditory equivalent of confetti or streamers, only instead of celebrating a special occasion, they commemorate successful gamble.
If you need some coin ramps in your life, this video will hook you up.
4. Ringing Cash Registers
Casinos love ringing cash registers because they remind people of being successful in business.
Most folks would rather have $20 in their pocket than $20 in a slot machine, but deep down, they know the only way to get that twenty dollar bill is to risk it.
Thus, by reminding players of their entrepreneurial ambitions, casinos tap into a powerful motivator that compels people to keep trying, even when the odds are stacked against them.
Reasons to Play at Online Casinos Instead of Land-Based OnesOf course, the register ring isn’t the only sound effect that appeals to greed.
Growling sounds, especially low rumbling noises like thunder, make people want to add more coins to the machine. Scratch that. Those noises make people feel like they have to add more coins.
Similarly, jackhammers and drills have the opposite effect, driving players away from malines that haven’t paid out in a while.
What do casino cash register sounds mean?
They signify fortune—and not the fake kind dispensed by slot machines.
These ringing registers remind players of a job well done, which makes them feel capable of beating the house at its own game.
Here’s a short clip of a bunch of register rings. It’ll give you chills if you’ve ever worked in a retail establishment.
5. Eject Button Sounds
Slot machines have buttons that eject losing tickets, but few people know that.
Instead of pushing the obvious button next to the machine, players actually turn and ask a server to cut them free from their latest losing streak.
Why is that?
Aren’t slot machine printouts and boring old receipts basically the same thing?
Yes.
No.
Well, technically, they are the same thing, but the printer sound is far less than the eject button noise.
Seriously, listen to the clip above again. Would you walk over and press a button if you had to listen to that screeching for very long?
What do casino ticket dispenser sounds mean?
They indicate failure, but sometimes failure is the first step toward success.
After all, if you never lost a ticket, you’d never get to replace it with a winner, right?
6. Talk Show Applause
Have you ever heard applause in a casino?
I don’t mean the cheers that erupt when someone hits a jackpot, either. I mean the staccato clapping that sounds like a studio audience between scenes on a talk show.
At first glance, one might assume this audio was left over from a previous event held in the same space, except there’s always applause in casinos these days.
So, what the heck is it?
That’s an excellent question.
My research suggests the clapping is meant to encourage players.
Just like a talk show host uses his audience to goad guests into saying stupid things, casinos can use intermittent bursts of applause to lure players deeper into their lairs.
Hear that sound frequently enough, and eventually, you’ll start believing lady luck favors you above all others. That could lead to some irresponsible behavior, like selling your car to fund a slot machine habit, for instance.
What do casino applause sounds mean?
They imply favor, though whether that favor comes from the house or your own subconscious is open to interpretation.
Check out this brief sample to hear what I’m talking about.
7. Bell and Whistle Toys
You may not realize this, but casinos steal some of their best sound effects from cheap toy makers.
For example, a three-ringed Triple Sevens win on Bally’s Classic Sevens slot machine inspires a toy bear claw to punch three balloons, popping them and letting dogs, monkeys, and birds fly into the air.
Similar sounds can be found on any playground, but in the context of a slot machine, they seem a bit… Off.
So, what do casino toy sounds mean?
They’re supposed to inject a sense of whimsy into the gaming experience, making what could otherwise be a soul crushing event into a fun diversion.
Sometimes, it works, too.
I mean, how could anyone fail to smile when a cuddly teddy bear punches three balloons and sets three cute little animals free?
Oh, and if you’re wondering what that slot machine sounds like, you can hear it for yourself below.
8. Laser Barriers
Old school slot machines didn’t have a lot of fanfare.
Sure, you’d get a trio of jingles for a three fruit match, but other than that, things were relatively quiet. That changed in the 70s when Fortune Coin Company introduced Fortune Coin slot machines to the casino world.
Not only did these new devices boast electronic reels, they also included a rudimentary form of secondary game. If a special symbol appeared on the first reel, the player would hear a ding and see a laser beam shoot out of the body of the machine and travel across a sensor on the cabinet of another slot.
Real Money Casinos Where You Stand a Chance to Win Big - #9 Is a Gem!If if that second spin resulted in another matching symbol, the player would win some extra coins.
This system, which became known as a “hold and spin,” would later be refined and patented byarnie Saxon and Roger Shripso, who founded Sierra Design Technology—later known as Bally’s Engineering Department—in the early 80s.
Bally’s held a virtual monopoly on slot machines for years, but that all changed when the Federal Trade Commission forced manufacturers to license their hold and spin technology rather than holding exclusive rights to it.
IGT was one of the first companies to obtain a license, and their first product—a wheel of fortune themed slot machine—was an instant hit.
Other companies soon followed suit, and today, nearly every slot machine in operation features some sort of hold and spin mechanism. Of course, they’ve gotten fancier over the years.
Where the Fortune Coin machines simply beeped and flashed an led when the lasers connected, IGT’s machines played a triumphal fanfare and displayed the word BONUS across the top.
IGT also added a multiplier feature, which upped the ante even further.
Still, the underlying mechanism remained the same—hit the special symbol, hear the ding, watch the laser find its target, line up another matching icon, and hear the fanfare/jingle combo that indicated a win.
Laser barriers are still in use today, although some modern slots have replaced the lasers with infrared beams.
The end result is the same, however—player A performs a specified action, and that action causes a related action on a nearby or adjacent machine.
So, what do dual screen slot sounds mean?
They hint at interactivity, implying that the player has some control over the outcome.
Here’s a quick video demonstration of how the hold and spin feature works.
9. Random Noise Bursts
Have you ever walked through a casino and heard what sounded like a jackhammer?
Unless there’s some construction going on, that thundering racket is almost certainly coming from a slot machine.
As I mentioned earlier, growling or rumbling sounds have a peculiar effect on people. We feel an overwhelming urge to feed the machine, even if we have no intention of gambling.
Casinos know this, which is why you’ll hear all kinds of random noise bursts emanating from rows of one-armed bandits. Each burling slot machine sound seems to get louder and more insistent the less amount of money it has paid out in the last hour.
Conversely, rings from cash registers gradually fade into the background until they disappear altogether.
What do these noises mean?
They’re meant to grab your attention, of course, but why?
Well, remember I mentioned the no-music rule enforced by copyright lawyers? Casinos are still allowed to use original recordings, but they can’t play copyrighted songs over the PA system.
That limits their ability to reach customers, so they turn to other tactics, like creating a sonic environment designed to influence behavior.
This technique is similar to the subliminal messaging of the past, except casinos are completely upfront about these sounds.
If you’d like to hear what all the hubbub bubbles sounds like, I’ve got just the thing.
Do Casino Sounds Have Subliminal Messages?
Back in the 50s and 60s, restaurateurs and theater owners began slip subliminal messages into their products in an attempt to manipulate consumers.
You’ve likely seen the pictures of these messages—usually a flash of a cigarette or a soft drink tucked between frames of a film reel. Supposedly, the human mind registered these images without conscious awareness, leaving only the desire to smoke Camels or swig a Coke.
Did they work?
Honestly, I have no idea.
What do casino subliminal messages mean?
We’ll never know for certain, but I’m inclined to believe they didn’t accomplish whatever nefarious goals their creators had in mind.
First of all, the science behind subliminal advertising is shaky at best. Second, subliminal messages were common knowledge back then. Patrons were aware that restaurants and theaters were attempting to manipulate them, which negated most of the power those messages possessed.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, subliminal ads were banned in 1974, so no one is doing it anymore.
So, should you worry about subliminal messages the next time you visit the casino?
Absolutely not.
If anything, you ought to be more concerned with the overt messages—the ringing cash registers, gleaming jackpots, and benign toy noises that seem to echo off the walls no matter where you go in the house.
- Why do casinos turn vacant rooms into acoustic reflectors?
- How do brick patterned carpets affect gambling behavior?
- What colors evoke particular emotions?
All fascinating stuff.
If you want to learn more about the psychological tricks casinos use to separate you from your hard earned dollars, I highly recommend this piece from the Atlantic.
Now that you know what casino sounds mean, you’ll never be able to enjoy a trip to the one armed bandits without wondering if that jackhammer slot machine sound is going to give you a migraine.
Kevin Roberts, previously published as Andrew Powell, is a freelance writer who's written for films such as X-Men, Tomb Raider, and Sherlock Holmes, as well as for publications like Empire Magazine, Radio Times, and Total Film.
He loves working from home so he has more time for his golden retriever, Lucy, who likes to hover over his keys and occasionally pluck at them with her paws – adding her poochy point of view.