A casino is an entertainment complex, usually with food, drink and music, where people can play games of chance. The modern casino is much like an indoor amusement park for adults, with a vast majority of the profits (and fun) coming from gambling on games such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno. Other activities, such as musical shows and lighted fountains, also draw in the crowds.
While casinos often rely on elaborate themes, shopping centers and even water parks to attract visitors, the billions in profits they rake in each year are the result of a simple principle: the games have a mathematical expectation of winning for the house. This is true of all games, even those with an element of skill such as poker, where the house takes a percentage of all bets placed, known as a rake.
To maximize their profits, casinos focus a great deal of attention and money on rewarding high-volume gamblers, or comps. These rewards can include free hotel rooms, restaurant vouchers, show tickets and limo service. To be eligible for comps, a player should ask a casino employee or someone at the information desk how to get their play rated. In addition to focusing on high-rollers, casinos are also choosy about which patrons they allow to gamble in their facilities, and many are now operating separate high-stakes rooms. In order to gamble in these rooms, a patron must first verify their identity and provide documents such as a government-issued ID or utility bill.