A casino is a place where champagne glasses clink and tourists and locals mingle. It’s a place with music playing and people smiling and having a good time, and while some may tut when things don’t go their way, it usually doesn’t take long for the good vibes to return. It’s a place where the excitement of gambling is as much about socializing as it is about trying your hand at luck.
The modern casino is a relatively new phenomenon. Before the 20th century, the only places where gambling was legal were racetracks, riverboats and private clubs. But the casino has evolved into something more elaborate than these other venues, with all sorts of luxuries designed to keep people gambling and spending money.
These perks include restaurants and bars where patrons can dine and drink; free drinks (and often comped rooms for the night) to encourage people to stay longer; bright and sometimes gaudy floor and wall coverings that have been proven to stimulate and cheer people up; and sound systems that emit high-quality, often blaring, music to make people feel as though they are in a jubilant and celebratory environment. They also use scents, such as scented oils, to give gamblers a manufactured blissful experience.
Security is also an important feature of the casino. Employees are trained to keep a close eye on the patrons and the games, and can spot blatant cheating like palming or marking cards or dice. They have a network of cameras in the ceiling to monitor every table, window and doorway. And if anyone does suspect a problem, they can watch the video tapes from a control room filled with banks of security monitors.