A Casino is a place where a wide variety of games of chance are played. While lavish restaurants, lighted fountains and stage shows help bring in the crowds, the billions of dollars in profits that casinos generate each year would not exist without their main attraction: gambling. The games of chance that gamblers play – slot machines, blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat and craps – provide the excitement that drives people to casinos in droves.
Something about the presence of large sums of money seems to encourage cheating and stealing, which is why casinos spend a lot of time, energy and cash on security. Besides the obvious physical protection, casinos are also constantly trying to improve their gaming experience, with a special focus on customer service. They reward frequent gamblers with free items like meals, hotel rooms and tickets to shows. They call these “comps.” Casinos also offer electronic systems that track player bets minute by minute, and they monitor roulette wheels to discover any statistical deviation that might signal a bias.
In the twentieth century, casinos became choosier about who they allowed to gamble. They focused on high rollers, those who bet a great deal of money, and provided them with a special room away from the main casino floor. The high rollers also received comps worth a significant amount of money. This strategy paid off and helped casinos increase their profits.