A casino is a building or room where gambling games are played. Most casinos add luxuries such as restaurants, stage shows and dramatic scenery to attract customers. They also offer free drinks, transportation and rooms to high rollers. Casinos are legal in most countries. Some are run by major hotel chains, while others are owned and operated by private individuals or groups.
In the twentieth century, casino owners were increasingly choosy about who they allowed to gamble. They sought out the wealthy, who could afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars on one bet. These “high rollers” were given special rooms away from the main floor, where they could place bets that were often much larger than those placed by other patrons. These gamblers generated most of a casino’s profits.
Because of the large amounts of money involved, casino patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. For this reason, casinos devote a great deal of time and effort to security. Security personnel patrol the casino floors, watching for blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards and dice. In addition, some casino employees are specially trained to watch for betting patterns that might signal a cheating gambler.
In the United States, a 2005 study by Harrah’s Entertainment found that the average casino gambler was a forty-six-year-old female from a household with above-average income. The study was based on face-to-face interviews with 2,000 American adults.