A casino is a place where people can play games of chance. While casinos add a number of luxuries to appeal to the customers, like restaurants, free drinks, stage shows, and dramatic scenery, the basic definition is a public place that houses gambling activities. There are less lavish places that could be called casinos, and your grandmother may even enjoy taking weekend bus trips to the local casino with her friends.
Casinos make money by charging players a fee to gamble and by offering comps. The fees are generally lower than the payout percentages of individual games, but they add up over millions of bets and create enough revenue for casinos to build dazzling hotels and fountains, giant pyramids and towers, and replicas of famous landmarks. Casinos also earn money by charging a percentage of all bets placed at table games and video poker, which is known as the vig or rake.
The lion’s share of casino profits comes from the five percent of players who are addicted to gambling. Critics contend that this shift in spending from local entertainment and the economic costs of treating problem gambling offset any benefits that casinos may bring to a community. Some casinos are known for their lavish inducements to big bettors, such as free hotel rooms and dinners, tickets to show, and limousine services and airline tickets. In addition to the obvious perks, casinos use technology to monitor their patrons and game results. Elaborate surveillance systems include a high-tech “eye in the sky” that allows security personnel to watch every table, window, and doorway in a casino.