From the glitzy resorts in Las Vegas to the legal pai gow tables of New York City, casinos attract people from all walks of life. They are a popular source of entertainment, but many can be addictive if not played responsibly. Whether you are a fan of slots or table games, it’s important to know the odds and how much money you can expect to win at a casino.
From a casino’s perspective, every game has a built in mathematical advantage. That edge can be quite small, lower than two percent, but it adds up over millions of bets and provides enough profits to build spectacular hotels, fountains, towers, replicas of famous landmarks and other opulent attractions.
Casinos are able to offer extravagant inducements because they are virtually assured of gross profits for every bet placed by a patron. That advantage is also known as the house edge. Some patrons are considered good players and receive free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows, limo service or even airline flights as comps.
Because large sums of money are handled in a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal. Fortunately, the majority of casinos have security measures to prevent this from occurring. Some of the most common security measures include cameras, guards and a policy that prohibits anyone from entering or leaving the casino without a valid ID card. In addition to these precautions, some casinos employ a professional thief investigator to investigate claims of theft and fraud.