A casino is a place where gambling is allowed and people go to enjoy it. It has become a worldwide industry that includes many different games and events, with some of the biggest casinos in the world being located in Las Vegas. Some have been decorated with fountains, statues, towers and replicas of famous landmarks. They also include restaurants, non-gambling game rooms and other features that make them more appealing to families.
The modern casino is like an indoor amusement park for adults, but the vast majority of its entertainment (and profits) come from games of chance. Slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps and keno provide the billions of dollars in profits that casinos rake in every year. While musical shows, lighted fountains and shopping centers help draw in the crowds, casinos would not exist without games of chance.
In the beginning, Nevada was the only state where casinos were legal and owners sought to capitalize on the “destination tourism” that grew around them. But as the industry became more regulated, other states realized they could attract gambling tourists too, and they soon began opening their own casinos. These casinos are often massive megacasinos with impressive size, beautiful decor and a mindblowing number of games. They may be themed after a popular film or city, offer hotels and restaurants, host live entertainment events and even have their own water parks.
Something about the glitz and glamour of casinos seems to inspire cheating, stealing and scamming. That’s why casinos spend a lot of time, money and effort on security. From the high-tech eye-in-the-sky cameras that watch every table, window and doorway to the less obvious tricks that dealers use to prevent patrons from cheating or stealing, casinos have a whole arsenal of tools to keep their customers safe.
Casino security starts on the casino floor, where casino employees watch over their games and players. Dealers are heavily focused on their own game, so they can quickly spot blatant cheating like palming or marking cards. Table managers and pit bosses have a broader view of the tables, making sure that patrons are not stealing from each other and looking for betting patterns that might indicate a cheat. But a casino’s most important weapon is its surveillance system, which is constantly monitoring all of its games and patrons. The most sophisticated casinos have a room filled with banks of security monitors where workers can adjust the camera to focus on suspicious activities. The system records everything too, so the casino can review the footage later if it suspects someone is stealing or cheating. In some cases, this can lead to criminal charges and even civil suits.