Casinos are large gambling pavilions that offer a variety of games, food and drink, live entertainment or closed-circuit television broadcasts and have the overall look and feel of a luxurious resort. Unlike the seedy backroom gambling parlors of the old west casinos are designed to be a safe and pleasant place to gamble, dine, watch a show and perhaps win some money. Licensed and regulated casinos employ security guards, monitor their parking lots and take steps to prevent crime from affecting their patrons.

The house edge is the built-in advantage that a casino has in each game it offers. This advantage, which is mathematically predictable, assures that the casino will make a profit on every bet placed in its establishments. This virtual guarantee of gross profit allows casinos to offer big bettors extravagant inducements, such as free spectacular entertainment, luxury hotel rooms and transportation, reduced-fare transportation and other accommodations.

While the promise that a casino will decrease unemployment in an area is often used as a selling point to encourage local authorities to approve their construction, there are several issues to consider. One is the ability of the local work force to provide the skilled labor needed for a casino. In an urban area there is the possibility that a sufficient number of workers will be available, but in rural areas the work force may be limited and it is difficult to attract skilled employees from outside the region.