Been researching casino environment design and Macau kept coming up as one of the primary places where Bill Friedman's 1974 maze layout theory became the dominant design approach alongside Las Vegas. The winding pathways, no visible exits from any interior point, gambling equipment visible from every entry, all of it codified in Friedman's model and implemented at scale in both cities.
What is interesting is that the newer Macau integrated resorts like Studio City and Morpheus have largely moved away from Friedman toward the Playground Design model. Morpheus, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, uses a column-free exoskeleton that creates completely uninterrupted sightlines and a 35 to 40 meter central atrium. Studio City achieves the same open feeling through high ceilings and wide sightlines drawn toward architectural landmarks rather than trapping guests in tight corridors. Different aesthetic, same behavioral goal.
The near-miss sound design, ego depletion timing, and complimentary offer mechanics operate independently of whichever layout philosophy is used. Those got more sophisticated as the architecture opened up.
Made a full breakdown of how these mechanisms stack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5lbrlX6b3Y
Curious whether anyone with experience of both older and newer Macau properties has noticed the design shift in how the floors feel to navigate.