The name casino conjures up images of bright lights, big money, and gambling. From the towering casinos of Las Vegas to tiny mountain towns that host 19th century Wild West buildings filled with slot machines and poker tables, there are plenty of places across the United States where people can try their luck at wooing Lady Luck and leaving with (hopefully) more than they came in with.
Casinos focus on attracting and keeping customers, and they offer many perks to gamblers, known as comps. These include free rooms, tickets to shows, food, and drinks. Most casinos also have security measures in place. These include closed circuit television and electronic monitors in key areas, as well as a system called chip tracking, which records the precise amounts wagered minute by minute so that any deviation from expected results can be quickly detected.
Gambling at a casino is social, and patrons often interact with each other, as in the case of a game of craps or poker. They can also be surrounded by other players as they play slot machines, or a game of bingo or keno. In addition to the noise and flashing lights, a casino offers entertainment options such as shows and other games of chance.
As a result of the social aspect, casinos can boost local economies, both by directly creating jobs in their own facilities and by drawing money to a town that is then spent in surrounding businesses and tourist attractions. Controlling for a number of other factors, studies have shown that counties with casinos have higher employment levels than those without them.