When people hear the word casino, they think of bright lights and big money. It’s no wonder a lot of people flock to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Biloxi for some gambling fun. But what exactly is a casino?
A casino is a gambling establishment that offers games of chance and, in some cases, a skill element. It earns its income from bets placed by patrons, primarily through table games like craps and roulette, as well as by slot machines and video poker. Most casino games have a built in advantage for the house, which is mathematically determined and can vary from game to game. This advantage, also known as the “house edge,” is what gives casinos their profits.
Casinos use a wide range of security measures to protect their patrons and property. A typical casino employs a combination of a physical security force that patrols the premises and responds to calls for assistance or suspicious activity, and a specialized surveillance department that operates a high-tech eye-in-the-sky system.
In addition to these security measures, casinos use a variety of customer-service strategies to encourage gamblers to play longer and spend more. For example, many casinos offer free hotel rooms or meals to their best players. They may even give away limo service and airline tickets. These incentives are called comps. The more a player spends at the casino, the higher their comp level, and the more they are likely to win.