Whether you’re trying to get lucky on the slots, putting your best poker face forward at the blackjack table or rolling dice on the craps floor, casinos are the place to satisfy your gambling urge. While musical shows, lighted fountains and shopping centers may draw in the crowds, the billions of dollars that casinos make each year come from gambling.
Casinos have a variety of strategies to keep gamblers coming back. Free food and drinks may tempt them to spend more than they can afford, but the fact that gamblers use chips instead of cash makes them less concerned about losing real money. Casinos also employ security measures to protect their patrons from cheating or stealing.
In the modern world, a casino is usually divided into two separate departments: a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The former patrols the floors and responds to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity, while the latter operates the casino’s closed circuit television system, often called the eye in the sky. These departments work closely together to prevent crime and have been quite successful in doing so.
In the United States, there are more than a thousand legal casinos. Some are located in massive resorts such as the Las Vegas Strip, while others are found on American Indian reservations and at racetracks converted into racinos. In addition to offering the excitement of gambling, casinos bring in millions of dollars each year for their owners, investors and employees. However, some economic studies indicate that casinos have a negative impact on local communities, due to a shift in spending away from other entertainment options and the cost of treating gambling addictions.