The most famous casinos around the world feature spectacular fountain shows, top-notch hotels and spas, and a variety of gaming options. But what makes one casino stand out from another? In the case of many of these mega-resorts, it’s not so much about what games they offer or the size of their slot machine or poker room, as it is their level of luxury.
Whether you’re pressing your luck at a slot machine, putting on your best poker face or throwing dice at the craps table, there’s nothing quite like the raw energy of a real-life casino. But even though a casino is designed around noise, light and excitement, it’s not a place where you can always walk away a winner. That’s because casinos have built-in advantages that ensure the house will win in the long run.
That house advantage, which is the mathematical expectancy of a casino, can be tiny, less than two percent in some cases, but over millions of bets it adds up. This money, known as the vig or rake, is how casinos make their money.
But that doesn’t mean that a casino isn’t a fun place to visit. Many casinos use comps, or complimentary goods and services, to reward “good” gamblers who spend a lot of time at their tables. These can include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and even limo service and airline tickets if you’re a big enough spender. This is all part of the marketing strategy that casinos use to attract customers from around the country and the world.