What is a Casino?

For most people, a casino is a place to visit for fun, a chance to gamble away a Saturday night and maybe even come out a little richer. The reality is much more complex, though, as casinos are businesses that use psychology to trick customers into spending money and wanting to return, despite the fact that they will always lose in the long run.

When you walk into a casino, you enter a fantasy world of bright lights and clinking slot machine coins. People are laughing around tables and you can almost smell the excitement. But it isn’t just the gambling that brings in customers, it’s the glitzy design and the way everything is set up to make you spend more and crave returning.

Table games involve players sitting around a table that’s usually designed for the game being played and interacting directly with a dealer or croupier who enables the game, manages payments and provides any other support required by the rules of the game. These games can include card games like poker, dice games such as craps or wheel games such as roulette.

Casinos employ an elaborate surveillance system to keep an eye on the players and their activities. Security workers on the floor have a wide view of the casino, and can easily spot any blatant cheating such as palming, marking or switching cards. They can also note the patterns of betting, and look for suspicious patrons that might be committing a crime or simply trying to take advantage of the house edge.