The word casino is derived from the Italian ‘casa gioco’, meaning “house of games.” Casinos make money by offering games of chance and in some cases with an element of skill. Most games have a built in mathematical advantage for the house, which is uniformly negative (that is, it costs them more to play than they will win). This advantage is usually less than two percent and is called the house edge. In some games, such as poker, the casino also takes a fee from each player known as the rake.
Modern casinos focus on customer service and offer perks to encourage gamblers to spend more money. These perks are known as comps, and they include free food, drinks and hotel rooms. Some casinos even give away airline tickets, limousine services and other extravagant inducements to big bettors. The underlying business model of the casino is to assure its gross profit by filling as many hotel rooms and gambling tables as possible with affluent tourists.
The typical casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from a household with above average income. They are likely to be married and have children. They prefer to play table games like blackjack and roulette, where they can interact with other players. They also enjoy slot machines, video poker and other electronic games. Typically, these people drink heavily and smoke while they gamble. They tend to favor casinos that have bright lights and noisy music. While casino employees do not let gamblers use real cash, they will often replace paper bills with chips that look like cash and are easier to keep track of.
