A casino is a place to gamble, usually with money. People exchange their cash for chips and play games like poker, blackjack, and roulette. They can also watch entertainment shows. Casinos require that visitors be of legal age to gamble and follow the rules of the establishment.
Casinos are businesses and like any business they need to make money. Gambling is the major source of profit for casinos. Each game has a built in advantage for the casino, called the house edge. This is very small, but it adds up over millions of bets and generates billions in annual profit.
To maximize their profits, casinos attract large numbers of gamblers by offering special inducements. The most lucrative gamblers are referred to as high rollers and receive extravagant comps (free or reduced-fare transportation, luxury hotel rooms, free drinks, food, cigars while gambling) for their significant betting.
Besides attracting large numbers of people, casinos create a fun and exciting atmosphere. They have bright and sometimes gaudy floor and wall coverings that are meant to stimulate and cheer up the patrons. Alcoholic beverages are served freely and waiters circulating throughout the casino can be summoned to take a patron’s order.
Casino security is also extensive. Every dealer is supervised by a higher-up and can spot blatant cheating like palming, marking or switching cards or dice. Cameras in the ceiling track every table, window, and doorway to monitor for suspicious behavior. Security personnel in a separate room with banks of security monitors can adjust the cameras to focus on particular patrons.