A casino is a place that allows people to gamble. It may add a variety of other amenities such as restaurants, shows and dramatic scenery to make the experience more exciting but it is essentially a place where you can gamble on games of chance. Some casinos are more extravagant than others but all are designed to attract people who want to try their luck and hopefully win a large sum of money.
Something about gambling seems to encourage people to cheat and steal, either in collusion with other patrons or independently, and casinos have security measures in place to prevent this. Casino security starts with the floor workers, who watch each game to see if players are following certain patterns that might signal cheating such as palming cards or marking dice. Table managers and pit bosses have a broader view of the casino and can spot suspicious betting patterns on tables. In modern casinos, surveillance systems such as the “eye in the sky” allow security to monitor the entire casino at once from a control room.
Every casino game has a built-in advantage for the house, which represents the average gross profit it expects to earn from each play. Some games have skill elements, which can be analyzed and improved by players using the appropriate strategies. In these games, the house edge is lower than in those that rely solely on chance. Because of this virtual assurance of profits, casinos are able to offer big bettors extravagant inducements such as free spectacular entertainment, luxury travel and elegant living quarters.