Casinos make money by encouraging players to spend their money on gambling games. They do this by offering them comps, or complimentary goods and services, to “good” players who gamble a lot of money, such as free hotel rooms, meals, shows and even limo service and airline tickets. Casinos also employ a large number of security personnel to keep the patrons of their establishments safe from cheating, stealing and other types of crime.
In addition to the aforementioned security measures, casinos employ numerous other methods of securing their profits from gamblers. These include identifying and rewarding high-volume players with generous comps, and monitoring player habits and patterns in order to detect blatant card counting, dice switching or other forms of cheating. Casinos are also equipped with a variety of surveillance systems to monitor all activity on their gaming floors.
With its bravura set pieces and judicious use of flashy cinematography, Casino evokes the sinfulness and glamour of old Vegas in much the same way that Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls did a few years earlier. But the film is less a nostalgic paean to the good ol’ days than it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of institutional systems of grift.
Casinos can have a profound economic impact on the communities where they are located. By bringing in a steady stream of tourists and locals who spend money on food, drinks, hotel accommodations, entertainment and other non-gambling related activities, casinos can increase overall economic activity for the area. This can also provide an additional source of income for smaller businesses, such as restaurants and shops in the area, helping them stay afloat or expand their reach.
