A casino is a place where gambling games are played and, if you’re lucky, you might win some money. Modern casinos have elaborate hotels, restaurants and entertainment to lure in the gamblers but they wouldn’t exist without the games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, poker and roulette are what bring in billions in profits for the owners of the casinos.
The atmosphere inside a casino is designed around noise, light and excitement. Gamblers are surrounded by other patrons, and they shout encouragement to each other. Waiters float around with alcoholic drinks and nonalcoholic drinks. Some casinos even have catwalks in the ceiling that allow surveillance personnel to look down, through one-way glass, on the activities at tables and slots.
While the glitzy casinos of Las Vegas feature a plethora of amenities, other casinos may have more basic features such as tables, chairs and card dealers. Some are also much smaller and more modest in size.
Casinos are a business, and their goal is to make more money than they spend. Every game has a built in advantage for the casino, which can be as low as two percent, but over millions of bets that add up to big bucks for the owner of the casino.
To keep the advantage from slipping, casino managers and employees closely watch the action on the floor. They can easily spot blatant cheating, such as palming, marking or switching cards or dice. In addition, table managers and pit bosses monitor players with a broader view of the entire table, watching for betting patterns that may signal cheating.
