A casino is a gambling establishment where customers gamble by playing games of chance or skill. These games include poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat. In some cases, these games are played in a table designed specifically for the game and managed by a croupier or dealer. In addition to these games, casinos offer a variety of electronic machines that allow patrons to place bets without interacting with other players.
Modern casinos look more like an indoor amusement park for adults than a place of business, with lighted fountains, musical shows and shopping centers to attract customers. But despite the glamour and entertainment value, casinos would not exist without the billions of dollars in profits raked in every year by slot machines, table games and other games of chance.
Every casino game has a built in statistical advantage for the house. This advantage, often referred to as the house edge, ensures that casinos will always win money on any game played. It may only be a small amount, less than two percent on each game, but this adds up over millions of bets and can make the difference between winning and losing.
To maintain their profits, casinos have a number of security measures in place. Surveillance cameras are frequently used to monitor the activities of casino patrons. Employees are trained to spot blatant cheating such as palming cards or marking dice, and pit bosses oversee the tables with a broader view of the patrons and their betting patterns.