A casino is an establishment that offers gambling. It is most often associated with hotels, but also can be found in other types of buildings, such as retail stores and restaurants. Some casinos feature live entertainment and may also offer sports betting.
Modern casinos are like indoor amusement parks for adults, with most of the profits coming from gambling. Lighted fountains, musical shows and elaborate themes may draw in the crowds, but games of chance like blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and slot machines provide the billions of dollars that casinos rake in each year.
Casinos use many methods to prevent cheating and theft, both blatant and subtle. Casino security starts on the floor, with employees constantly monitoring patrons and games for suspicious behavior. Table managers and pit bosses oversee the table games with a broader view, watching for patterns that indicate cheating and keeping track of how much money each game is winning or losing. Casinos also employ specialized mathematicians to keep track of odds and variance, mathematical deviations that could indicate cheating or a biased wheel.
Despite the efforts to deter cheating and theft, something about gambling encourages people to try and beat the system. That is why casino security has become increasingly sophisticated. Video cameras are used to monitor patrons and games, while computerized systems supervise the actual games themselves. Betting chips with built-in microcircuitry allow casinos to check the exact amounts wagered minute by minute, and roulette wheels are electronically monitored for statistical deviations.
