What Is a Casino?
A casino is a gambling establishment with games of chance, like roulette, poker, blackjack, and slots. Visitors can exchange money for chips to play these games and may also be allowed to dine in restaurants or attend entertainment shows. Most casinos require patrons to be of legal gambling age and to comply with rules and regulations.
Underneath the veneer of flashing lights and free cocktails, casinos rest on a bedrock of mathematics, engineered to slowly bleed their patrons of cash. For years mathematically inclined minds have attempted to turn the tables, using their knowledge of probability and game theory to exploit weaknesses in a rigged system.
While casinos have many revenue streams, their primary source of income is from the gambling machines — also known as gaming devices, gaming consoles or slot machines. Slots and video poker machines generate the most profit, attracting the largest number of players and offering the highest average bet size. Other popular casino games include baccarat, craps, roulette and bingo.
A casino’s success is also heavily dependent upon its technology systems, such as customer relationship management and payment systems. In order to monitor and manage day-to-day operations, a casino employs computer programs that analyze and process transactions and payments. These are referred to as casino management systems (CMS). A CMS is an integrated system that runs a casino’s operational IT infrastructure. These systems are used to handle a wide range of activities, from daily customer transactions and account management to security systems.
