What is a Casino?

A Casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming hall, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos have a wide variety of games that are designed to appeal to the senses, especially sight and sound. Musical shows, lighted fountains and themed restaurants draw in customers but the vast majority of a casino’s profits come from gambling games such as slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno.

A casino’s employees are trained to keep an eye on patrons and to spot blatant cheating and theft. They are aided by technological advancements like video cameras and special betting chips with built-in microcircuitry that can track the exact amounts wagered minute by minute; roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviation. Some casinos have catwalks that allow surveillance personnel to look directly down, through one-way glass, on the casino floor and table games.

Casinos also offer perks that encourage people to gamble, even when they lose money. For example, slot machines are programmed to make repetitive and rhythmic noises that are tuned to a particular musical key so they are pleasing to the human ear. Waiters rove the casino floor, offering free alcoholic beverages and nonalcoholic snacks to patrons. During the 1970s, Las Vegas casinos offered discounted travel packages, free show tickets and cheap hotel rooms to maximize the number of patrons they could attract to gambling tables. This strategy was called “comping” and it is the primary way American casinos earn their income.