The Casino

In the casino, you can find blackjack and roulette tables, elegant poker rooms, and 130 slot machines. Located in the beautiful old spa town of Baden, this is a very elegant and classy establishment that focuses on aesthetics as well as gambling.

One thing is for sure, though: the house always wins. Whether it’s blackjack, poker, or video poker, games of chance have built-in odds that ensure the house will make money. This advantage is mathematically determined and is known as the house edge.

Gambling probably predates recorded history, with primitive protodice, cut knuckle bones, and even carved six-sided dice appearing in archaeological digs. But the concept of a casino as a place for people to gamble on different types of games under one roof didn’t develop until the 16th century.

As Nevada became a major tourist destination, its casino owners realized they could draw in huge numbers of American visitors by offering a variety of games under one roof. Mob money provided the initial funding for Reno and Las Vegas casinos, but gangsters were never satisfied to simply provide the cash; they wanted sole or partial ownership of the casinos and controlled their operations through intimidation and threats. Legitimate businessmen were reluctant to get involved in the tainted world of mob-run casinos.

Modern casinos use a variety of security measures to protect their patrons and their assets. For example, casino staff monitor players’ behavior and betting patterns to identify suspicious activity; the routine of games (e.g., the way dealers shuffle cards) and the expected reactions of players follow certain patterns, so security can quickly spot something out of the ordinary. Casinos also use technology to supervise their own activities. In some cases, betting chips have microcircuitry that enables casinos to oversee the amounts wagered minute-by-minute and discover any deviations from expected results.