The Casino – The Indoor Amusement Park For Adults

Casino is an indoor amusement park for adults, with the bulk of its entertainment (and profits) coming from games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat generate billions of dollars for casinos. Musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and elaborate hotels also help lure gamblers to the gambling halls.

Most casino games have a built in mathematical advantage for the house. This edge is typically very small, lower than two percent, but it adds up over time and allows the house to make a profit on millions of bets. The casino’s advantage is known as the house edge or the vig. This advantage is offset by a commission charged on certain types of bets, called the rake. Casinos also give away complimentary items, called comps, to certain gamblers.

In the past, mobsters controlled many casinos. However, with real estate investors and hotel chains buying out the mob, and federal crackdowns on mafia involvement in casino gambling, legitimate casinos are now run without mob interference.

Modern casinos have high-tech surveillance systems that offer a “eye in the sky” view of the entire casino floor. In addition, cameras in the ceiling can be focused on specific patrons if security personnel suspect them of engaging in criminal or suspicious activities. Some casino surveillance systems are so sophisticated that they can spot a card cheating at poker or a person trying to take a picture of a security camera. The camera’s image can then be displayed on a screen for the security staff to review.