A casino is a place that offers gambling and games of chance. Modern casinos add other luxuries like restaurants, free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery to attract patrons. Casinos also have security measures in place to prevent cheating and theft by patrons, either in collusion or in independent action. Cameras and other technology are used to spot suspicious or definite criminal activity.
Casinos often lure gamblers by offering comps. Comps are free or discounted goods and services that are given to “good” gamblers, based on the amount of time and money they spend at a specific casino game. They can range from free hotel rooms to limo service and airline tickets. Casinos are able to offer these perks because they track patrons’ playing habits using computerized cards that they swipe before each game.
Table games generate much of a casino’s income. Roulette is found in casinos around the world and draws big bettors, whose action forces the house to reduce its advantage to less than 1 percent. Craps attracts bigger bettors as well, although most American casinos only demand an advantage of about 1.5 percent. Slot machines are the economic backbone of American casinos, generating large amounts of cash at sums from five cents to a dollar or more.
The casino industry’s rise in the 1980s led to the opening of many new casinos in the United States and abroad. Most of these casinos are located in cities with substantial tourism. Some casinos are open to the general public; others restrict access to people who are 21 or older and residents of the gambling establishment’s local market area.