marceloburlonA casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming establishment, is a place where people can gamble. These establishments offer a variety of games, such as blackjack, roulette, and poker. They are usually combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other entertainment facilities. They are often located in cities with large populations and can be found in the United States, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, casinos are regulated by state and local laws. Some states have special laws regarding the use of alcohol and the minimum age for gambling.
Casinos earn billions of dollars each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that operate them. In addition, they provide jobs and tax revenue for the host communities. Casinos are also an important source of recreation and tourism for many areas.
The popularity of casino gambling is increasing worldwide. More countries are legalizing casinos, and they are being built in places like China and Russia. In the United States, Nevada is renowned for its huge casino resorts. Atlantic City and New Jersey are also major centers for casino gambling. Native American casinos have become popular and are growing rapidly. Many of these casinos are on reservations that are outside of state antigambling laws.
Most casinos are designed around noise, color, and excitement to attract and motivate gamblers. They often feature brightly colored floor and wall coverings that resemble the sky or sea, and they have music playing in the background. Drinks are available at the tables and from waiters circulating throughout the casino. Most of these drinks are alcoholic, but nonalcoholic beverages are also available. Casinos do not usually have clocks on the walls, because they are meant to make gamblers lose track of time.
Security is a major concern at casinos. Employees are trained to watch for a wide variety of possible criminal activities, including cheating and stealing. Casinos are also required to have procedures for dealing with problem gamblers. Some states require casinos to display signs that alert patrons to the dangers of problem gambling and to provide contact information for organizations that can offer specialized help.
The typical casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from a household with above-average income. This demographic accounted for 23% of all casino gamblers in 2005. The average gambling spend per visit was $25. In general, casino operators strive to maximize profits by encouraging high-spending customers to play as long as possible and to come back frequently. To do this, they reward the highest-spending players with comps such as free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows, and other rewards. Less-frequent gamblers can sometimes earn similar benefits by joining a player’s club or accumulating points that can be exchanged for free slot play, food, drinks, and other items. Some casinos also offer limo service and airline tickets to frequent players as an incentive to spend more. This is a form of targeted marketing, known as customer segmentation.
