A casino is a place where people can play games of chance for money. The precise origin of gambling is unknown, but it has been widespread throughout human history. Casinos add a wide range of extras to attract customers, including free drinks, restaurants and stage shows.
Casinos use a variety of tools to prevent cheating and theft. For example, cameras in the ceiling watch every table, window and doorway. Each video feed can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of security monitors. Computerized systems in the tables keep track of betting amounts minute by minute and alert the pit boss or manager when a suspicious pattern develops. Roulette wheels are regularly monitored to detect any statistical deviations from expected results.
While casinos offer a wide variety of games, they are primarily built to make money from the house edge of those games. Almost all casino games have a built in statistical advantage for the house, which can be as low as two percent or as high as five percent depending on the game rules and the skill level of the players. This mathematical advantage can be computed using a combination of game theory and the work of mathematicians who specialize in gaming analysis.
Critics point out that casinos divert spending from other forms of local entertainment and, in the case of compulsive gamblers, can actually lower property values in surrounding communities. They also argue that the economic cost of treating problem gambling addicts far outweighs any profits the casinos bring in.
