One of the dirty little secrets that you don’t hear big casino companies talking about is how they market their product toward the nation’s growing population of senior citizens.

Atlantic City boasts of the kind of amenities that appeal to seniors — the Boardwalk, complimentary buffet lunches and dinners and other freebies aimed at luring them to the glittering lights and appealing sounds of the casino.

Daily bus trips from our area to various Atlantic City and other casinos give seniors a day out, some free slot machine play and a free or discounted meal. Usually, the cost of the bus ride is returned in casino free play or other complimentaries.

The idea is to get the players to the casino and have them spend their own money once the freebies are quickly dispensed with. Among states, Pennsylvanians are the 13th most addicted.

Seniors are the fastest growing population of gamblers. Unfortunately, many of them are piddling away their income, savings and a secure future. Unlike those who are still working, seniors cannot make up the losses.

The industry’s own data show that about 50 percent of all casino visitors are 50 or older. Many of these players see this as their preferred form of entertainment, and they eagerly try to defy the house odds and win a bundle.

Older people tend to go to the casino during the off-peak weekday mornings and afternoons. This makes them a highly desirable market. They help to keep thousands of slot machines operating during slower daytime hours. Casinos make their older customers feel welcome and safe.

Casino marketers have been able to figure out that seniors are vulnerable on several counts. They are trying to stave off Father Time and forget, at least for a while, about physical and emotional problems.

Casinos happily provide motorized vehicles so seniors can zip through the gambling floors in comfort. Those who travel by bus often find other seniors as kindred souls, which results in friendships being formed.

As the number of senior gamblers has increased in the 50 years since the first casino opened on the Boardwalk, then spread to Pennsylvania, so, too, has the number of those addicted to gambling.

This insidious addiction knows no social or economic bounds. I can’t count the number of articles I have read where trusted older employees have been charged with embezzlement from their company or organization, then tell investigators that they took the money to feed their gambling habit.

“The gambling addiction hotlines are ringing off the hook, and it’s often grandma on the line,” said Lynn S. Parramore writing in Salon, a news and opinion website.

The fastest-growing group of senior addicts is women who have lost a spouse and who now feel marginalized by society, so gambling fills a void in their life.

But at what cost? Aside from the monetary losses, there are also the health concerns for older Americans. Many casinos are exempt from nonsmoking laws and therefore pose a special health risk to older Americans who may already suffer from lung, heart and circulation problems.

Many casinos also offer free or heavily discounted alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can be dangerous for people on medication or for those who suffer from memory problems. Studies consistently show that casino workers suffer higher levels of job-related health problems than noncasino workers, and it is likely that regular exposure to the casino environment has a similar negative effect on older casino customers who have existing health problems.

As far as coming home a big winner, don’t count on it. The Caesars Corp., which operates three popular Atlantic City casinos — Caesars, Harrah’s and Bally’s — has published an extraordinary booklet, which is available to patrons free of charge at some of its money cages.

“Whether you play slots, craps, blackjack, roulette or any other game in a casino, it is important to remember that games of chance are based on random outcomes and always favor the casino,” the brochure says. “These games of chance are a form of entertainment, at a price to you, the player; casino gaming should not be considered a way to make money.”

The brochure spells it out clearly: “If you play long enough, wager enough and bet fast enough, you are bound to lose,” because the odds always favor the casino.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com