A casino is a facility where people can gamble and play games of chance. It may also contain restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Casinos are most often found in states where gambling is legal, but they can also be operated by Native American tribes. There are more than 3,000 casinos worldwide.
In 2005, a survey conducted by Harrah’s Entertainment indicated that the average casino patron was an older woman with above-average income. This demographic made up 23% of all casino gamblers. The study was based on face-to-face interviews of 2,000 adults. In addition, the company’s research division surveyed 100,000 households.
Because casinos deal with large amounts of money, they must spend a significant amount on security. Elaborate surveillance systems provide a high-tech eye-in-the-sky view of the entire casino floor that can be shifted to focus on particular suspicious patrons. Security personnel are also armed and trained to spot potential criminal activity or cheating on the part of gamblers.
In some cases, a casino will reward its best players with free hotel rooms, meals, show tickets and airline or limousine transportation. This is known as comping. Casinos typically have a mathematical expectancy of winning, so it is rare for them to lose money on a single day. However, a casino can still lose a great deal of money over time, so it is important to have a well-defined budget and to play only the games you can afford to risk losing.
