Mini ethnography : People in a gambling area

Object: People in the gambling area of the Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans
By Aurélie Saulnier

Even if I am not a gambler, I have never been attracted to putting money in a slot machine nor to bet cash on a number or a color, I have always been fascinated by observing people’s behaviors inside this particular circle, this entire world created from a to z around money. Indeed, I find interesting to look at the players, listening, watching all manners and reactions of this microcosm, the habits and languages that have been developed. But more than a basic reading, I always try to understand, or at least to know more about, the motivations “behind the scene”, the reasons, the purposes and sometimes, the addictions.

The ambition of this mini ethnography is not to offer an exhaustive study of this particular subject, but to attempt a “thick description”, a transcription as truly as possible of what I saw, and suggest an interpretation. Furthermore, I tried to identify a norm, and finally, how and at what point, this specific population reflects the US society.

I entered the Casino by the Poydras entry, walked, did a “round trip” first, then stopped at three different place to observe and take notes; I left by the Canal entrance (see : doc. att.). I voluntarily went there a Saturday night, a moment where I assumed that I would have the best overview on my subject. I decided to focus on players only, and put aside dealers, security men and the ones that just hang around or accompany people they are with.

The gambling area is loud, colorful and agitated like would be a beehive. It is divided in several spaces, such as “Penny Gras”, “Party Gras”, Court of Good Fortune”, “Smuggler’s Court”. Each space has its own theme and the decoration that comes with, entirely and visibly related to money and party. For example, the lexical field used all around to name spaces and machines, such as “fortune”, “penny”, “cash”, “bet”, “win”, “thrift”, etc. Colors, sounds and illustrations have been thought to respect this theme of party, prosperity and easy money, in all its forms (golden coins, bills, treasure; gold, purple, and green tones, the ones of Mardi Gras, silver as well) . 

I am immediately caught by the constant and insistent noise of the multicolored, luminous and interactive slot machines, settled in dozens of rows and circles. I walk through the aisles. The machines sparkle, glitter, work nonstop under the fingers of hundreds of gamblers. Each machine has its own stool, or chair, that looks more or less comfortable. Then, there are many table games, with their dealers and security men; here, one can play craps, roulette, black jack, poker, etc. The atmosphere, here, is different, quieter; the furniture and ornaments, more sober. Tables are surrounded by people though, and it is difficult to distingue cards and dices.

The casino is completely decorated, from the floor to the ceiling. Cafés, food, restrooms, even a night club, of course ATM machines: the gambling area is in fact, arranged in a way that gamblers can circulate and spend money simply and efficiently. 

To continue, after having observing the setting, I concentrated on people. First of all, a quick look is enough to affirm that people in the gambling area are of all kinds: all genders, races, styles, physiques, cultures, classes, educations, and ages. It is a real patchwork of human beings. Indeed, these men and women may be black, white, Hispanic, Asian; tall, short, thin, fat, with long hair or not hair at all, etc.
I look at young adults, middle aged persons, and older; they may be students, tourists, workers, unemployed, retired, New Orleanians, or from all over the world. They come alone, in couple, family, or with friends.

Next, I take a moment to observe how dressed the gamblers are. My first thought is that they just look like the cosmopolitan Big Easy, meaning a little of everything from everywhere, coexisting in a crazy place. I see men with nice shirts and shoes, and women very dressed up, wearing short and tight dresses, high heels. In contrast, some are more casual, with sport, street or summer clothes, such as shorts, jeans, loose dresses, sandals and running shoes. 

In brief, I feel comfortable to say that it is not their similar taste of fashion that reunites these people in the same place. Now that I looked at the place and the players, I focus on their different
behaviors while they gamble.  

First, I note that some gamblers are pretty quiet, calm and static. They don’t move a lot, sit at their slot machine, or remain standing next to the table games. Their gestures are limited. Indeed, almost only the eyes and hands, sometimes only fingers, of the players seem to be animated. It gives me the impression that these people are very concentrated, focus on the game, whatever it is, and take it seriously. These “serious” gamblers seem to have a strategy, a real reflection about how they play, where and why. For most of them, they show a grave face, and look as if they were not distracted by the environment around, not even the people they came with.     

  

On the other hand, others players are really demonstrative, by their gestures and/or their words, and express their pleasure, dissatisfaction, frustration, even their anger, very openly and even sometimes with fury. These gamblers are agitated, noisy, and change often the place where they bet. Contrary to what I said above, they talk a lot with their friends, trying to brag, or to look for encouragement.  My impression is that they are not used to gamble, like I think, could be the “quiet” ones. It appears to me more like a “game of circumstances” – vacation, night out, etc. They don’t really come in the Casino to play, but they do because they are in the place. Maybe they came to the night club, or the theater, or are clients of the hotel (Harrah’s is indeed also a hotel).        

            In conclusion, my first observation is that my idea that any kind of person may be concerned and interested by gambling, is reinforced and consolidated. Indeed, one can’t imagine more different people reunited in this gambling area! However, they are all together in the same place, in a voluntary way and without prerequisite consultation. So, according to what I saw and know, I tried to figure out what they have in common, to find out some norms they might be related by. My unique response is MONEY. Even though I can’t identify nor completely understand the complexity and multiplicity of the motivations all gamblers have, I believe indeed that the common point between all these persons is money. No matter if they come here every day or once a year; alone or accompanied; not matter if they spend or lose ten dollars or one thousand. Whatever the purpose and the stimulus, all these gamblers are here for money. And I think that is a pretty good reflect of the actual US society, where the dollar is in the center of everything for many people, companies and governances, represents a goal instead of a mean, and finally is a perpetual and never satisfied conquest.