A casino is a place where people play games of chance. The modern casino typically adds a host of extra luxuries to help keep people betting, such as restaurants, free drinks and stage shows. However, there have been less lavish places that house gambling activities and still technically qualify as casinos.
Casinos make money by charging a percentage of all bets placed in the gaming rooms. This charge, called the “vig,” can be very small — lower than two percent for most table games and video poker machines, but it adds up over time and helps casinos build elaborate hotels, fountains, towers and replicas of famous landmarks.
Security is another source of revenue. Casino employees watch patrons to ensure they are following all the rules and acting responsibly. Dealers, for instance, are trained to spot blatant cheating techniques like palming cards and marking dice; table managers and pit bosses have a wider view of the tables to look for patterns in bet sizes and placements that might signal crooked action.
You can ask casino employees for tips on which games are hot. But remember that they see thousands of people gamble every week and it may be against company policy for them to share that information with you.