A casino is a place where people can play games of chance. Almost always it will have food and drinks available. It will also have a variety of entertainment to appeal to the widest possible audience. It is a business that generates billions of dollars in profits for its owners.
While a casino may have elaborate decor, music and stage shows to draw people in, the majority of its income comes from gambling activities. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette and craps bring in the most money. Other games that generate significant revenue include poker, baccarat and keno.
Because of the large amounts of cash handled by casinos, there is always the potential for cheating or stealing. To combat this, most casinos employ extensive security measures. Typically this begins on the floor of the casino where employees watch over games to make sure that patrons aren’t blatantly cheating or stealing. Table managers and pit bosses have a broader view of the table games and can look for betting patterns that might indicate cheating.
Most American casinos offer traditional western games such as baccarat, blackjack and poker. Some have added Far Eastern games such as sic bo and fan-tan. Harrah’s Entertainment reports that the typical American casino gambler is a forty-six year old female from a household with an above-average income. However, participation in casinos drops with income; only about 20% of Americans who earn less than $35,000 per year participate in casino gambling.