When you step inside a casino, the atmosphere is intoxicating. There are flashy lights, clinking coins in slots, and music that pumps up the energy. People mingle around tables, drinking and talking. And while some tut-tut when their luck runs out, most people still feel a rush of excitement.
Gambling is one of the few activities where skill and strategy can be used to your advantage. However, that doesn’t mean you can beat the house. Every casino game has a built-in edge, which means the odds are against you and that the house will win more than you lose.
That’s why casinos spend so much time and money on security. Elaborate surveillance systems with cameras in every corner, ceiling, and window give security workers a high-tech eye-in-the-sky that can be adjusted to zoom in on suspicious patrons.
There’s also a sense of community that you don’t get in other environments. People support each other at the tables and cheer on their favorite players. The movie Casino perfectly captures this feeling. It’s got a great cast, from the always-reliable Robert De Niro as Nicky Santoro to Sharon Stone as the blonde hustler Ginger McKenna. The plot twist where Nicky turns into a hound after Ginger is one of the best examples of well-built scumbaggery I’ve ever seen in film.
Casinos are businesses, and they need to make sure their customers keep spending money over and over again. That’s why they have a host of tricks up their sleeves to make it hard for patrons to leave.