A casino is a building or room in which gambling games are played. The modern casino is like an indoor amusement park for adults, with the vast majority of its entertainment and profits coming from gambling. Slot machines, blackjack, craps, baccarat and roulette are just some of the games that generate billions in profits for casinos each year. While lighted fountains, musical shows, shopping centers and luxury hotels help draw in the crowds, the real magic happens on the gaming floor.
To maximize profits, casinos offer big bettors extravagant inducements. These may include free spectacular entertainment and transportation, luxurious hotel rooms, reduced-fare hotel or airline tickets and even fine dining and drinks while gambling. Casinos also use sophisticated surveillance and security systems. For instance, casino chips have built-in microcircuitry that enable them to be tracked minute by minute and any statistical deviations quickly detected. In addition, casino table game sensors and electronic monitoring allow for quick detection of any changes in expected spins, rolls or card deals.
The dark side of the casino business includes addiction and compulsive gambling. Studies indicate that a large percentage of people who play casino games are addicted to gambling, which reduces the net value of the casino to the community through shifting spending habits and lost productivity. In addition, casinos often draw in local players, rather than out-of-town tourists, which decreases the amount of money spent in other forms of entertainment and hurts property values.