Casino, Martin Scorsese’s epic story of Vegas and the mafia, is a riveting tale of greed, treachery, and violence. It also illustrates how the mob lost control of the city to huge gambling corporations. The movie is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of gambling and Vegas.
Gambling, in its various forms, has been a part of human culture for millennia. The earliest evidence of dice dates back to 2300 BC, and playing cards appeared in Europe in the 1400s. Modern casinos offer a wide variety of gambling products, including poker, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, video poker, and slot machines.
Most casino games have a mathematical advantage for the house, which can be expressed as the expected value of a player’s wager or more precisely, the house edge. The house edge is usually a small percentage of total bets made and can be calculated by computer programs. The mathematicians and computer programmers who perform this work are called gaming analysts.
Casinos have many perks designed to encourage gamblers to spend more money, and to reward those who do. For example, they might offer free spectacular entertainment, luxury transportation, elegant living quarters, discounted hotel rooms, and food and drinks. These inducements are known as comps.
Hiring high level staff is critical for a casino to run smoothly. It is important to avoid hiring low level Floormen (they accuse people of cheating a lot), Bouncers and Cooks (they are prone to getting low morale). It is also important to have enough Trashmen to quickly find garbage.