There’s something luxuriating about walking into a casino. The bright lights, the oh-so-fun slot noises (even though pennies stopped dropping long ago) — all of it is designed to play on your senses and keep you in the building as long as possible. And while free drinks and comps certainly help, casinos have a much more sophisticated system of manipulation to keep you gambling all night.

Security is a major component of any casino’s operation. Security guards patrol the floor and watch over table games to make sure that no one is cheating by palming chips or marking dice. Dealers also have a high-level supervisor watching them from above, making sure they aren’t violating the rules by giving away winnings or even just making eye contact with players.

While the security measures are extensive, casino owners know that they can’t control everyone who enters their property. This is why they rely on demographic information, like age and gender, to predict the type of visitor they will receive. But this data doesn’t tell you why the visitors are there. They could be on a business trip, in town for a wedding, or celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party. Only by understanding the underlying motivations and pain points can you target your marketing efforts to attract the right type of casino visitors. This is where competitive and search ads can be helpful. They give your casino prominent exposure when event planners are searching for solutions to their needs — the moment when they have the highest intent to act.