How Casinos Have Become Sophisticated and Technologically Advanced
Customers of a casino play a variety of games, both skill-based and chance-based, for money. While the odds of winning are in favor of the house in most casino games, there are certain factors which favor the casino. Among these is the house edge, which can be as low as two percent. This advantage, known as the “rake” or “vig,” is built into the rules of the game. This advantage is also reflected in the casino’s bonus system, which rewards loyal customers with free drinks.
In the twentieth century, casinos became more sophisticated and technologically advanced, concentrating their investments on attracting and maintaining high rollers. Unlike average gamblers, high rollers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per session in casino games. These individuals often gamble in special rooms, separate from the main gaming floor. Their wagers typically exceed a million dollars, and the casinos make a large profit from them. As an added bonus, they are frequently treated to lavish personal attention and comps worth millions of dollars.
Today, a casino offers a wide variety of games, with both banked and nonbanked versions. Banked games have a stake in the outcome. Examples include roulette, blackjack, keno, and traditional slot machines. On the other hand, nonbanked games involve a fixed amount of money, with the house taking a cut. And in percentage games, players must wager a certain percentage of the total wager.