A casino is a gambling establishment that houses a variety of games of chance for patrons to try their luck and win money. Unlike other public gaming places, such as bars and restaurants, casinos are designed to offer an atmosphere of excitement and glamour. They feature games such as blackjack, roulette, and slot machines, and are often combined with other tourist attractions such as hotels and retail shopping. Some casinos even include stage shows and dramatic scenery to entice players.
Casinos have become increasingly sophisticated in their use of technology. They have begun to use chips with built-in microcircuitry that enables them to monitor game play minute by minute; electronic roulette wheels can detect when they are not rotating as expected; and cameras mounted in the ceiling give operators an “eye-in-the-sky” view of the entire floor.
In addition to technological advances, casinos have also gotten smarter in how they manage their operations. Many of the larger ones are now concentrating their efforts on attracting high rollers, who gamble for much more money than the average player and who can generate significant revenue. These people are usually given special treatment, including free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and sometimes limo service and airline tickets.
In 2005, 23% of American adults visited a casino at least once in the previous year. The typical casino gambler was a forty-six-year-old woman from a household with above-average income. Something about the presence of large amounts of money seems to encourage a certain type of behavior, however: cheating, stealing and scamming are all commonplace.