A casino is a public building or room where people gamble. It is usually built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions.
The word ‘casino’ is derived from the Latin ‘casa’, meaning ‘little house’. Initially, casinos were used as pleasure houses, but the word was changed in the nineteenth century to indicate a gambling establishment.
Various games can be played in a Casino, including poker and blackjack. Many people are attracted to these games because they offer a mathematically determined chance of winning, known as the ‘House Edge’.
To avoid cheating, casinos implement security measures such as cameras positioned at windows and doorways. Dealers are trained to detect cheating and other employees, such as pit bosses, are assigned to watch over table games.
Some casinos also provide complimentary items and other incentives to customers. These benefits do not diminish the house edge but make the casino more attractive to players.
Casinos try to stimulate their customers by offering them free drinks, colorful carpets, flashing lights, melodious music and soothing fragrances. The air inside a casino is pumped with extra oxygen to keep the customer awake, refreshed, and alert for long time gambling.
Despite all these, some people still have doubts about gambling in a casino. They believe that casinos manipulate the gaming equipment to gain a profit.