When most people hear the word casino, they picture a Las Vegas megaresort with lots of neon lights and games. But, in reality, a casino is much more than that. A casino is any public room or building where playing gambling games is the primary activity.
Most casinos are staffed with security personnel to monitor the patrons and prevent theft and cheating. This starts on the floor, where dealers keep an eye on other players and other tables to catch any blatant cheating like palming cards or marking dice. Table managers and pit bosses have a broader view, watching for betting patterns that could be indicative of cheating. And then there are the security cameras – often mounted to the ceiling – that watch over every area of the casino and can track any movement.
Table games are the mainstay of most casinos. They usually require a high level of skill as well as luck to play successfully. The most popular table games are card games, including poker and blackjack, as well as wheel games such as roulette and craps. These games involve players sitting around a table, which is normally designed specifically for the game and managed by a croupier or dealer.
Casinos are in business to make money – billions of dollars a year for the companies, corporations, investors and Native American tribes that own them. They also rake in billions for the state and local governments that collect taxes and fees. But, it’s important to understand that if you walk into a casino and gamble, you should expect to lose more than you win. The odds for every casino game are stacked in favor of the house, and even with pure luck you will probably walk out with less money than when you walked in.