Whether you’re putting your luck to the test at a slot machine, hitting it big on the roulette wheel, trying your hand at poker or throwing dice with some friends, casinos are the best way to satisfy your gambling itch. While lighted fountains, restaurants, shopping centers and stage shows are often part of the package, casinos would not exist without games of chance – slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, craps, keno and baccarat are what brings in the billions that casino owners rake in each year.
While the odds of a particular game may be influenced by skill, it’s still mostly a matter of random chance, and many players try to beat the house edge by using a variety of strategies. These include card counting, analyzing the history of previous bets and other methods. Many casinos employ mathematicians to help them understand the math behind their games, a practice known as gaming analysis.
Casino security starts on the floor, where employees keep an eye out for blatant cheating, such as palming cards or marking and changing dice. Then there are the cameras that monitor every aspect of the casino, keeping track of everything from the amount of money being wagered to the temperature in the room.
Casinos want to attract the most profitable customers, and high rollers are pampered with free rooms, meals, tickets to shows, limo service and airline tickets. They are rewarded for their spending by earning comps – which are based on how much they play and how long they stay.