A casino is a place of mystery and intrigue, where the wealthy gamble away their fortunes and the poor get richer. This world of dazzling lights, glamorous people and five star food entertainment has captured the public imagination for decades, inspiring everything from Rat Pack movies to modern thrillers. Millions of dollars pass through casinos doors every day.
In games of chance, the house always has an advantage over players. This is a mathematically determined advantage that is called the house edge, and it is the source of most of the profit for casinos. In some games, such as poker, the house collects a commission, known as the rake, which adds to the overall edge for the house.
Gambling has been around for thousands of years, and it is a part of almost every culture in some form. However, the sheer amount of money that moves through a casino creates a unique environment where there is an ever-present risk for theft and cheating. It is no wonder that casinos invest a huge amount of time, effort and money into security.
For example, most modern casinos will only allow you to play with chips rather than cash. This is a psychological trick to make you feel like you aren’t gambling with real money and it also makes it easier for surveillance to track your spending habits. Casinos often have special counting rooms where money is bundled up and put into bags to await transportation by armored car for deposit in the bank. They will also extend comps to big spenders that include free hotel rooms, meals and drinks and even limo service and airline tickets.
