The Gambling Games That Make a Casino Profitable

When most people think of Casino, they envision a luxurious place that offers everything from dazzling entertainment to top-notch restaurants and rooms. While these things are certainly present, a Casino would not be what it is without its games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, keno and other popular gambling games make up the vast majority of the billions that casinos rake in every year.

Casinos are business enterprises, and like any other business they must be profitable to survive. That profit is not derived from the skill of the players, however; it comes from a mathematical advantage built into every game that a Casino offers. In fact, the average person who plays a casino game loses money in the long run. (See PBS Frontline for more information on this topic.)

The most popular games in a casino are slot machines, according to a survey published in March 2002 by Gemini Research. The next most popular games were card games, then bingo and keno, with table games (such as craps and roulette) and gambling on sporting/racing events bringing in the least amount of business.

Casino security is an important part of the business. While cameras help deter theft and fraud, security personnel are constantly on the lookout for anything that might be out of the ordinary. For example, the way a dealer shuffles and deals cards and places betting spots on the table follow certain patterns that are easy for security to spot. The same can be said for the expected reactions and movements of players at poker tables.