The word casino may be used to describe any of a number of gambling establishments: places where people can gamble in games of chance, or place bets on events such as horse races or sports. Casinos also have a variety of entertainment options such as music and shows. In some countries, casinos are required to meet strict governmental standards. These standards include a requirement for the casino to have an experienced security staff and to use video cameras to monitor all patron activity. Some casinos even have a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” system that monitors every table and window and can quickly alert security to any suspicious behavior.
Most casinos have a central gaming area where customers can play various games of chance. These games may be traditional slot machines, or table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker. The casino may also offer a wide range of other gambling devices, such as dice or dominoes. Some games are banked and require players to bet against the house; these include blackjack, craps and keno. Other games are not banked and pay out winnings based on the total amount of money wagered, or a percentage of that amount. These games include the popular slot machines and pai gow poker.
Casinos make most of their profit from high rollers, or gamblers who spend large sums of money. These high-spending patrons are usually given special treatment and comps, or free goods and services, such as food, drinks, hotel rooms and show tickets. In some cases, casinos will even give away airline tickets or limo service to their top spending customers.
In the twentieth century, casinos have become choosier about who they accept as patrons. The elegance of the spa town of Baden-Baden attracted royalty and European aristocracy 150 years ago, and today its casinos are among the most lavishly outfitted in the world. In Las Vegas, the MGM Grand has a separate room for high-rollers and offers state-of-the-art facilities for placing bets on American football, boxing, MMA and other sports.
Generally speaking, casinos want to maximize profits and minimize costs. To this end, they design their buildings to make it easy for players to find the games they enjoy and to locate their cash. They also employ bright and often gaudy floor and wall coverings that are designed to stimulate the senses and to distract players from thinking about their losses. Many casinos also do not post clocks on their walls, as they believe that this will help patrons lose track of time and concentrate more on their gambling.
The majority of casino patrons are middle-aged women from households with above-average incomes. These women make up 23% of all casino gamblers, according to a 2005 study by Roper Reports GfK NOP and the U.S. Gaming Panel by TNS. They also tend to be more conservative in their views about gambling, and less likely to think of it as a morally wrong thing.
