A casino is an establishment for gambling. The games played therein are based on chance, with some requiring skill. Successful casinos make billions in profits for their owners, investors and Native American tribes. They provide an enormous amount of entertainment and attract visitors from all over the world. They have become a major source of revenue for some states and cities.
Modern casinos focus on customer service and offer comps (freebies) to encourage patronage. They also employ elaborate surveillance systems, known as “eye-in-the-sky”, which monitor the entire casino from a central control room. These sophisticated systems enable security personnel to quickly spot unusual activity and alert other staff.
Many casinos have a wide variety of table and slot machines. In addition, they feature several traditional Far Eastern games, such as sic bo, which spread to European and American casinos during the 1990s, fan-tan, and pai gow. Many also have sports betting sections, where customers can place bets on various sports events and other activities.
Most casino operations are supervised by a full-time security force and a separate department for gaming control and surveillance. The security personnel patrol the floor and investigate calls for assistance or suspicious activities, while the surveillance department uses high-tech cameras, known as the eye-in-the-sky, to monitor everything that occurs on the casino floor and in the games themselves. The cameras are monitored by a control room, where security workers can adjust the camera to focus on particular patrons, watch for cheating, and verify that payouts are correct.