What Is a Casino?

A casino is a place where people can gamble. It usually includes games of chance, like roulette, craps and blackjack, as well as skill-based games like poker. All of these games have a built in advantage for the casino, which is mathematically determined, and this is known as the house edge. Casinos earn money from this advantage by charging a commission on winning bets, called the vig or the rake. This revenue stream, together with a small percentage of losses, is what makes casinos profitable.

To maximize profits, casino owners use a variety of tricks to attract customers. They employ bright lights and dazzling displays to distract patrons from the fact that they are losing money. They also offer free drinks and food, or comps, to lure customers into gambling with the promise of winning big. Casinos make the most money by attracting high-stakes gamblers, or “high rollers.” These players spend large amounts of money, so casinos give them complimentary items and services, such as free hotel rooms, meals and tickets to shows.

Something about gambling (probably the presence of large sums of money) encourages people to cheat and steal, so security is a big concern for casino operators. In addition to employing armed guards and cameras, casinos rely on technology to monitor the games themselves. For example, chips with built-in microcircuitry allow casinos to monitor the exact amount wagered minute by minute, and roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover any statistical deviation from their expected results.