Casino is a large establishment where various games of chance are played. It also features restaurants, free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery. Almost any building that has a gambling facility can be called a casino, although casinos typically add a wide variety of luxuries to attract gamblers.
Successful casinos bring in billions each year for the companies, investors and Native American tribes that own them. In addition, state and local governments reap revenues from taxes and fees on gambling. Casinos range in size from massive resorts to small card rooms. They can also be found at racetracks and on boats and barges. Some states have even legalized casino-type games in bars and truck stops.
Every casino game has a built in advantage for the house. This edge may be small, less than two percent, but it adds up over millions of bets. This profit is the source of the funds that make casinos possible. They can afford to build towers, fountains and replicas of famous landmarks because they know that most people will not notice the tiny percentage that they are losing.
Casinos rely on visual cues to attract customers. They use a lot of bright, sometimes gaudy colors that are psychologically stimulating. Red is a particularly popular color for casino decor because it causes players to lose track of time. In many casinos the lights are so bright that there are no clocks visible from anywhere in the room.