A casino is a place where people can gamble and play games. It’s not just slot machines and poker tables that make casinos tick; they also offer free food and drinks to keep patrons around. While musical shows, lighted fountains, lavish hotels and elaborate themes draw in crowds, the vast majority of money that casinos rake in each year is earned from gambling. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat provide the thrill that drives people to risk their hard-earned cash on games of chance.
Most casinos employ a high degree of security to protect their profits. Security personnel patrol the casino floor and are trained to spot cheating by players such as palming cards or marking dice. Elaborate video surveillance systems offer a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” that can watch every table, window and doorway at once, and can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons.
Most games of chance have a built-in mathematical expectancy that gives the house an advantage, and casinos rely on this to earn their money. Because of this virtual assurance of gross profit, most casinos are willing to subsidize the gambling of large bettors with complimentary items (complimentaries) like free spectacular entertainment, luxury hotel rooms and reduced-fare transportation. In the past, they were even more generous with less big bettors, who were offered reduced-fare travel packages, discounted food and free show tickets. This strategy of attracting and keeping as many customers as possible is known as maximizing revenue through volume, or boosting volume through comps.
