The Dark Side of the Casino Industry

Whether you love to hit the slots, throw dice at the craps table or put on your best poker face, casinos offer an irresistible mixture of chance and fun. But what makes them tick? How do casinos make the billions they pull in every year? And what is the dark side of this gambling business? Read on to find out more about this intriguing industry.

Casinos are businesses and, like any other business, they need to make money. The vast majority of casino profits are made from games of chance, although some have an element of skill (blackjack, video poker, keno and baccarat). All of these games have built in advantages for the house that ensures it will win more bets than it loses. This advantage is known as the house edge.

In addition to the houses edge, casinos also charge a percentage of winnings to players called the rake. While some reputable online casinos do not charge this fee, others do, so it is important to research the various options before depositing your hard earned cash.

Because casinos handle large amounts of money, they are susceptible to theft and fraud by both patrons and employees. For this reason, casinos use security measures to deter crime. In addition to the obvious surveillance cameras, some casinos have catwalks in the ceiling that allow security personnel to look down on tables and slot machines through one way glass. Another common security measure is to have a room filled with bank of security monitors that can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons.