A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It may be combined with hotels, restaurants, resorts, or entertainment centers. It may also contain non-gambling entertainment such as live shows and music. The word is derived from the Spanish for “gambling house.”
Something about gambling (probably the large amounts of money handled) seems to encourage people to cheat or steal in order to win. This is why casinos spend a lot of time and money on security.
Most of the time, security starts on the casino floor, where staff keep an eye on patrons and games for anything out of the ordinary. Dealers can quickly spot blatant cheating like palming or marking cards and dice; and pit bosses and table managers can monitor the betting patterns of patrons to catch any irregularities. Casinos may also use technology to monitor specific games; for instance, roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover any statistical deviation from their expected results.
Casinos make their money by offering a small mathematical advantage to their bettors. Although this margin is typically lower than two percent, it adds up over the millions of bets placed each year. This profitability makes casinos one of the most profitable businesses in the world, and they spend huge sums on decoration, entertainment, and infrastructure to attract customers and retain them.
The interior design of a casino is often geared toward making patrons feel rich and special. Lush carpets and richly tiled hallways combine with carefully designed lighting to give off a glitzy impression. Red is a common decorating color as it is thought to distract patrons and make them lose track of time.