Casino is an establishment where customers gamble on games of chance or skill. Casinos are most often found in resorts, hotels and other tourist destinations. The United States is home to the world’s largest casino, Ledyard, Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort and Casino, which is located about two hours from New York City. The casino has six casinos and 7,000 gaming machines. It also offers a two-story arcade.
Security in a casino is usually a combination of surveillance and human observation. Casino patrons often follow certain patterns of behavior, and security personnel can look for these expected movements to spot cheating or suspicious activity. In addition, dealers at table games keep a close eye on their own game and are quick to notice any suspicious betting patterns. Table managers and pit bosses also watch over table games from a wider perspective, checking to see that patrons are not stealing chips or switching dice.
Computerized systems are now used to supervise many types of casino games. For example, chip tracking systems let a casino know exactly how much money is being wagered minute-by-minute. And electronic roulette wheels are monitored electronically to discover any statistical deviations from their expected behavior.
Casinos often reward high-volume players with comps (free goods or services). These can include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and even limo service or airline tickets. According to the American Gaming Association, approximately 51 million Americans visited a casino in 2002.