A casino is a gambling house, where patrons can wager money and win or lose according to random chance. These establishments often feature a wide variety of table games, slot machines and poker rooms, in addition to live entertainment and top-notch hotels and spas. Casinos can be found in cities around the world, with many of them having become internationally famous thanks to movies like Ocean’s 11.
While most casinos are based on a business model that offers a high-stakes gambler a mathematical expectancy of winning, some have begun to focus more on the needs of their customers by extending what is known as comps (complimentary items such as free food and drinks). This includes free hotel rooms, limousine rides, and discounted or complimentary show tickets. Casinos also offer a variety of other incentives to big bettors, including luxury suites and personal attention from VIP hosts.
Casinos have a reputation for being unruly places, and it’s true that people can be influenced by the presence of large amounts of money to cheat, steal and scam their way into a jackpot rather than relying on pure chance. As a result, casinos spend a lot of time and effort on security. Security staff watch over games with a close eye, spotting blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards. In addition, the security staff routinely monitors tables and other casino equipment to discover statistical deviations that could signal cheating or malfunctioning.
In the past, legitimate businessmen were reluctant to get involved in casinos because of their shady image. Mobster money flowed steadily into Reno and Las Vegas, and gangsters often took full or partial ownership of casinos. But as real estate investors and hotel chains with deep pockets got in on the action, mob influence faded.