A casino, also known as a gaming house or gambling hall, is a place where people can play games of chance for money. The casino industry is a major source of revenue in many countries around the world. Some casinos are built as standalone facilities while others are located inside hotels, restaurants, or cruise ships. In the United States, a casino is typically considered to be a public establishment that offers various gambling activities and entertainment.
While a casino’s stage shows, shops and restaurants may attract visitors, the business really makes its profits through the games of chance that patrons play. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and other table games provide the thrills that draw in players and generate billions of dollars in profits each year for the industry.
Since the odds of a particular game always give the casino a mathematical advantage, casinos rarely lose more than they make in a single day. This virtual assurance of profit allows them to offer big bettors extravagant inducements such as free spectacular entertainment, free transportation and elegant living quarters. For lesser bettors, the casino might compliment them with complimentary drinks and cigars while they gamble, or offer discounted hotel rooms, meals, shows or free slot play.
Security is a major concern for casino operators, who must protect their patrons as well as the assets on which they are betting. To this end, they use elaborate surveillance systems that offer a high-tech eye-in-the-sky. Cameras are situated in the ceiling and can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by workers in a room filled with banks of security monitors.