A casino (or gambling house) is a place where people can gamble by placing cash or casino chips on various possible random outcomes. There are also machines that simulate gambling. The games are usually regulated by law or company policy.
Casinos spend a great deal of time and money on security. This is because there is something about the presence of large amounts of money that seems to encourage people to cheat and steal. This is true whether the patrons are trying to win a jackpot by chance or by using skill, and it is even more likely when the games have built in advantages for the casino.
The obvious way casinos try to prevent theft and cheating is with a full-time physical security force. This force patrols the property and responds to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious activity. A separate specialized security department runs the closed circuit television system, often called “the eye in the sky”.
More subtle ways of trying to prevent theft and cheating are to watch for patterns. The routines of the games, how dealers shuffle and deal cards and where players put their bets follow certain patterns that make it easier for security to spot unusual behavior. Casinos have also hired mathematicians and computer programmers who specialize in gaming analysis to develop sophisticated mathematical models that can discover irregularities in game results.
In addition to physical security, casinos focus on customer service and offer a variety of perks to attract and keep high bettors. These include free hotel rooms, meals and tickets to shows. Casino employees often know which machines are hot and may be willing to share this information for a tip.