A casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming establishment, is an institution for legalized gambling. Most casinos offer a wide variety of gambling products including slots, poker and blackjack and also feature top-notch hotels, spas and restaurants. They are also known for their live entertainment and world-class luxury.
Due to the large amounts of money handled by the casinos, security is a key concern. Gamblers may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with other patrons or on their own. To combat this, modern casinos are heavily armed and have elaborate surveillance systems. These include the so-called “eye in the sky,” which is a series of cameras that are wired to a central system and can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons.
Casino security starts with the dealers themselves, who are trained to spot a wide range of deceptions. They also follow a set of patterns in how they deal cards, shuffle and handle the dice, which makes it easier for security people to pick up on any deviations from normal behavior. Similarly, table managers and pit bosses watch over the tables with a more broad perspective, keeping an eye out for any betting patterns that might signal cheating.
In general, casino gamblers are fairly well-off, with 23% of those surveyed in 2005 saying they had an income above $50,000. In addition, most casinos use a system called comps to reward frequent and large gamblers. These can include free hotel rooms, meals and show tickets as well as limo service and airline tickets.