A casino is a place where people can play games of chance and gamble. While modern casinos have a host of amenities and activities to keep visitors entertained, the vast majority of revenue is generated from gambling activities. Musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and hotels help draw people to the casinos but the real money is made by games of chance like slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and more.
Something about gambling seems to encourage people to cheat, steal and scam their way into a jackpot, but casinos devote an incredible amount of time, effort and money to make sure that doesn’t happen. Security starts on the floor, where employees closely watch patrons and games for blatant cheating or anything out of the ordinary. The floor people are aided by pit bosses and table managers who have a wider view of the game and can spot betting patterns that might indicate cheating. The dealers themselves have a close eye on their cards, dealing techniques and the reactions of other players.
But even if there’s nothing blatant going on, every casino game has a built in statistical advantage for the house. This edge, while small, adds up over the millions of bets placed and guarantees that a casino will always win. That’s how they can afford to build enormous hotels, lighted fountains, towers, pyramids and replicas of famous landmarks. They can also afford to give big bettors extravagant inducements like free spectacular entertainment and limo service.