A casino is a gambling establishment where patrons can place bets on various games of chance. Modern casinos offer a variety of games, with the most popular being poker, blackjack, roulette, and slots. Many also feature live entertainment and top-rated hotels.
The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden first opened its doors to European royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago, and has since become the home of some of the world’s most lavishly outfitted casinos. A visit here will reveal a world of ornate decorations, opulent suites, and top-notch service, along with the classic games of blackjack, roulette, and poker.
During the 1990s, casinos increased their use of technology for security and game supervision. In “chip tracking,” betting chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems in table games to enable casinos to oversee the exact amounts being wagered minute-by-minute, and to warn patrons of any anomaly; likewise, roulette wheels are regularly monitored electronically to discover quickly any statistical deviation from expected results. These innovations were made possible by advances in computer technology and the development of microprocessors.
A casino’s mathematical expectancy of winning is a combination of its house edge and variance, calculated by mathematicians who specialize in gaming analysis. This virtual assurance of gross profit allows casinos to afford extravagant inducements to big bettors, such as free spectacular entertainment, limousines and private planes, hotel rooms, and reduced-fare transportation. Casinos also earn money by charging a commission on games that are not played against the house, such as poker, by taking a percentage of the total pot or charging an hourly fee.