What Is a Casino?

A casino is an establishment where people can gamble and play games of chance. The most common casino games are poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and video slot machines. These games give casinos the billions of dollars in profits they rake in every year.

Modern casino owners have gone to extraordinary lengths to protect their fortunes. Security cameras are everywhere, and a separate room filled with banks of security monitors lets employees quickly spot any statistical deviation from expected results. In addition, many modern casinos have automated slot machine payouts that are monitored by a computer chip, and even roulette wheels are electronically monitored for any anomalies.

Despite the glitz and glamour of modern casino gambling, there are serious concerns. First, the large amounts of money handled by casino employees and patrons can make them prone to cheating and theft—either in collusion or independently. Second, casino gambling can encourage problem behaviors like drug abuse and alcoholism. Finally, casino gambling has a tendency to hurt property values in surrounding areas.

Despite these risks, the vast majority of casino patrons are law-abiding citizens. According to a 2005 study by Roper Reports and GfK NOP, the typical American casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from a middle-class household with above-average income levels. Casinos also offer a wide range of customer service perks to encourage gamblers to spend more, such as free show tickets and discounted travel packages.