One of the most effective gimmicks casinos use to lure in frequent gamblers is offering so-called “free play,” or gambling credits.

These are essentially gambling vouchers to get people in the door. It is the equivalent of a fisherman putting chum in the water to lure sharks. The gamblers like it because they feel special and get to play with house money. But once they burn through the voucher, most gamblers dig into their own pockets. That’s exactly what the casinos want.

This story in the Atlantic City Press details how one casino has used “free play” to dramatically boost profits. The Atlantic Club increased the amount of free play it uses to lure in gamblers to $3 million a month from $1 million. The result was a 33 percent increase in profits.

That may be good for the casino. But the end result is luring gamblers in more often and stripping more wealth from them. One Atlantic Club member said the casino gives her upt to $25 in “free play” every time she shows up. As a result, she goes to the Atlantic Club three times a week and usually on the weekends. That comes to about 200 trips to the casino a year. Talk about feeling lucky.