A casino is a gambling establishment where customers place wagers on games of chance or skill. Traditionally, these games include poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps. Some casinos also offer electronic gaming machines. Most of these games have a mathematical advantage for the house that is built into their rules; this advantage is often called the “house edge”. The casino industry relies on patrons, and to attract them it offers many perks, including deeply discounted travel packages, free buffets and shows. These perks are known as comps.
Although the glitz of Las Vegas and Macau has pushed casino gambling into the limelight, the activity occurs in a wide range of settings from crowded illegal pai gow parlors to sprawling complexes with gourmet restaurants, hotels and shopping malls. Some even feature a spa and golf course.
The ambiance of a casino is meant to stimulate the senses and encourage gamblers to spend money. Bright and often gaudy decor, with lots of red (a color that is believed to make people lose track of time), and no clocks on the walls, are designed to create a sense of urgency and excitement. The sound of slot machines and the clink of glasses in cocktail lounges add to the atmosphere.
In addition to the ambiance, casinos employ various methods to keep their patrons from cheating or falling into addiction. They rely on sophisticated surveillance systems that provide an “eye in the sky” view of every table, window and doorway, with cameras that can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons. They also rely on their employees to enforce the rules, and to alert them to any unusual behavior such as dice tampering or card marking.