The word casino conjures up images of lavish entertainment, fancy hotels, dazzling lights and huge crowds of people milling around games of chance. While lighted fountains, shopping centers and elaborate hotels help casinos attract the tourists that make them millions of dollars in profits each year, casinos would not exist without the billions of dollars in bets made on games of chance like blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and slot machines.
In addition to the gaming floor, casinos also offer a variety of other perks that attract gamblers such as free drinks, hotel rooms and live entertainment. They are also known for their high-stakes games, which often require large amounts of money to play. While the average casino visitor is a forty-six-year-old female with a household income above the national average, these high-stakes players are a small percentage of the gambling market.
While many gamblers do not realize it, every casino game has a built-in statistical advantage for the house. These advantage amounts may be small, often less than two percent, but over time they add up and allow casinos to operate profitably. To keep track of this, casinos employ mathematicians and computer programmers who analyze the odds of different types of casino games.
Whether you are planning your next vacation or just curious about what goes on inside of a casino, this article will provide an overview of the history and culture of casinos, popular casino games and how they work, the perks that casinos offer their patrons, how casinos stay profitable, and the dark side of casino gaming.