A casino is a place where people can play gambling games. While a variety of attractions like restaurants, free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery help draw players to casinos, the profits from gambling are what keep them in business. Casinos vary in size and style, with some focusing on glitz and glamour, others offering better odds on table games, while still others specialize in slot machines. Many casinos also offer comps, or complimentary goods and services, to their most valuable customers.
A modern casino is much like an indoor amusement park, with music and lighted fountains to add to the atmosphere and a wide array of table games, slot machines and poker rooms. The Bellagio in Las Vegas is one such example, known for its dazzling fountains and luxurious accommodations. But even a casino with all the trappings of the rich and famous can have its dark side, as shown by the movie Ocean’s 11.
Casinos have long been associated with organized crime, particularly in Las Vegas. Mob money provided the initial capital for many casino businesses, but when the mob became too involved in day-to-day operations, they lost interest in running casinos and turned to other ventures. Legitimate businessmen with deeper pockets then moved in to buy out the mob and run casinos without the taint of mob association.
Today, casinos employ a variety of technological measures to ensure security. Video cameras are ubiquitous, and computerized systems monitor gaming tables to oversee bets minute by minute, and warn of any deviation from expected results. Casinos also hire mathematicians and computer programmers whose job is to analyze the probability of a particular outcome, so that they can make accurate forecasts about expected profits and losses, and determine how much cash reserves are needed for each game.