A casino is a building that houses games of chance and other forms of gambling. It may also contain restaurants, bars, a hotel and other facilities. Whether they offer table games, slots, video poker or sports betting, casinos depend on games of chance for their billions of dollars in profits each year. But what is it about these games that draws people to a casino, and how do casinos keep patrons coming back?
A defining characteristic of casinos is their social aspect. While some games such as keno involve only random numbers, the majority of casino games are conducted by croupiers and require interaction with other players. The sociable aspect of casino games is what differentiates them from Internet gambling and lottery products, which are largely unsocial activities. The casino environment is designed around noise, light, and excitement, and casino employees are encouraged to cheer and encourage players. Alcoholic drinks are readily available and delivered to players at their tables or in front of their slot machines, while nonalcoholic beverages are provided free of charge.
There are many security measures in place to protect casino patrons and property. Security cameras throughout the casino provide a high-tech eye-in-the-sky view of every room, table, change window and doorway, and can be focused on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate control room filled with banks of monitors. In addition to the cameras, casino security personnel patrol the floor and watch each table game for blatant cheating or stealing by patrons or dealers. Casino security personnel are trained to notice patterns in dealer behavior and table game wagering, so it is easy for them to spot a shift in the normal pattern of behavior.
Casinos make much of their money from the high rollers, who spend a lot of money and gamble for long periods of time. These players usually play in special rooms that are separated from the main casino area. They are pampered with comps such as free luxury suites, meals and personal attention. While these players are a significant source of casino revenue, studies indicate that their addiction to gambling causes them to shift spending from other forms of entertainment and reduces local economic activity.
The most common casino game is the slot machine, which earns a larger percentage of casino profits than any other game. The appeal of slot machines is their simplicity — the player puts in money, pulls a handle or pushes a button and watches as bands of colored shapes roll on reels (actual physical or electronic). If a particular pattern appears, the machine pays out a predetermined amount of money. The payouts are determined by a random number generator. This simple system has made slot machines the economic mainstay of most American casinos. In contrast, roulette and craps require more skill and higher minimum bets than do baccarat and keno.