A casino, also known as a gambling house or a kasino in some countries, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other entertainment venues. They may also be located in or near cruise ships, tourist attractions and other places of recreation.
While casinos feature musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and lavish hotels, they would not exist without games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps are the games that draw in the crowds and generate the billions of dollars in profits that casinos make each year.
How do casinos make money?
Casinos rake in profits because each game has a built-in advantage for the house. The edge can be less than two percent, but over time and millions of bets it adds up. This profit is a major source of income for the casino and it allows it to invest in extravagant hotel towers, pyramids, giant fountains and replicas of famous landmarks.
Casinos also employ a variety of security measures to protect patrons and their assets. These include a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The former patrols the casino and responds to calls for assistance and reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. The latter oversees the closed circuit television system, often referred to as “the eye in the sky.” Casinos also use technological advances to supervise their games, such as chip tracking that electronically monitors bets minute-by-minute and can quickly spot any abnormalities; and electronic versions of classic casino table games that automatically monitor the exact number of chips placed on each bet.