A casino is a facility where people gamble on games of chance. These establishments offer a variety of gambling options, including table games, slot machines, and poker. Many casinos also have restaurants and other entertainment. The casino industry has grown rapidly since the 1960s, and now includes a wide range of attractions.
According to the American Gaming Association, about 51 million people in the United States—about one quarter of all Americans over 21—visited a casino in 2002. These visitors spent $25.7 billion.
Although there is an element of skill in some casino games, most are pure chance. Most casino games have a built-in house advantage, which means that the casino will always make money from its players, even if it loses some of them. This advantage, which is a mathematically determined percentage of total bets placed, can vary from game to game but is usually lower than two percent. It is sometimes called the vig or the rake.
During the 1950s, as Vegas’ gambling business expanded, owners tried to attract wealthy new customers by building elaborate hotels and adding fountains, pyramids and towers to their strip properties. They also raised the payouts on some of their slot machines and video poker machines to encourage gamblers to play longer, increasing the amount they would win.
In the 1990s, casinos used video cameras and computer systems to improve security and monitor game play. For example, in “chip tracking” systems, betting chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems in the tables to allow casinos to oversee bets minute-by-minute.