A casino is a place where people play games of chance for money. While casinos offer a variety of luxury amenities to attract players, such as restaurants, free drinks and spectacular stage shows, they would not exist without the millions of dollars in profits that games of chance like slots, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat provide. In this article we will examine how casinos make their money, some of the history behind these establishments, what the most popular casino games are and how they are played, as well as how casinos stay safe.

In 2002, about 51 million people—a group that represents nearly one quarter of the population over 21 in the United States—visited casinos for gambling. The casino industry is estimated to bring in more than $25.6 billion a year.

Something about gambling (probably the fact that it involves large amounts of money) encourages people to cheat, steal and scam their way into a jackpot, instead of trying to win by random chance. As a result, casinos spend a great deal of time, effort and money on security.

Security begins on the casino floor, where dealers keep a close eye on patrons to make sure no one is palming cards or marking dice. Pit bosses and table managers watch over the casino tables with a broader view, looking for betting patterns that could signal cheating. And, of course, the casino’s security staff has cameras everywhere. A more subtle aspect of security is the routines that casinos establish for their games. The rules for shuffling and dealing, the locations of the betting spots on a table and other details all follow certain patterns. It is easy for a casino security officer to spot someone who violates these routines.