A casino is a place that offers multiple games of chance and specializes in gambling. It also offers other amenities such as restaurants, shops and stage shows. Its main source of revenue, however, comes from the billions that patrons lose or win in the casino’s many game machines and table games. Craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker are among the popular casino games. While a wide variety of luxuries help attract gamblers, casinos would not exist without the games of chance that provide the thrills and excitement that make them so appealing to people from all walks of life.

Casinos use sophisticated surveillance systems to keep an eye on their patrons. They also employ mathematicians who analyze the house edge of different games and the variance in those houses, which can greatly affect how much money a patron will make or lose on a given visit. In addition, some casinos have cameras in the ceiling that offer a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” to give surveillance personnel a bird’s-eye view of the casino floor from which they can spot cheating or suspicious patrons.

According to a study by Roper Reports GfK NOP and TNS, the average casino gambler in 2005 was an older woman from a household with above-average income. A study by Harrah’s Entertainment cited similar findings, showing that the majority of American casino gamblers are women over forty. Something about gambling — perhaps the allure of large sums of money or the fact that it’s a social activity where players are directly involved with other people — seems to encourage gamblers to try to cheat, steal or scam their way into winning a jackpot.