A casino is a building or room where gambling games are offered. The games include slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and other table games. The modern casino is a multi-level facility with a variety of entertainment options and top-notch hotels, spas and restaurants.
Casinos make their money by providing a statistical advantage for the house. This edge, which is based on the probability of certain outcomes, can be small (less than two percent) but over time it adds up to billions in profits for the casinos. This profit allows them to afford to build elaborate hotels, fountains, towers and replicas of famous landmarks.
Something about gambling (probably the presence of large amounts of cash) encourages people to cheat and steal, either in collusion or independently. This is why casinos spend a large amount of time, effort and money on security.
The most secure casinos have cameras located throughout the facility. Security personnel also keep their eyes on the patrons and can quickly spot blatant cheating (palming, marking, switching cards or dice) or betting patterns that indicate possible collusion between players. Many of these measures are obvious, but some are subtle. For example, the way a dealer shuffles and deals cards or the locations of the betting spots on a table follow predictable patterns. Security personnel are trained to recognize these patterns and can quickly spot anything out of the ordinary. They can then take appropriate action, such as alerting the pit boss or a supervisor.