You’re in a twinkly, noisy casino. You’ve filled up at the buffet and you’re itching to roll the dice and see if lady luck is on your side. But hold on, buckaroo. Gambling may offer a nice rush when you win, but it’s not all that easy to make money at casinos.
To make a casino profitable, the game must be popular with players and have the right odds to attract people to play it. It must also be easy to learn and play, or it won’t draw players in. It must be fun and offer some kind of socialization, or people won’t bother to gamble there. And the casino must have a good reputation in order to keep people coming back.
The first casinos popped up around Nevada because that’s where gambling was legal. But other states quickly realized they could profit from gambling, too. And they did, by drawing in “destination tourists” from all over the country and the world.
In the earliest days of gambling, many casinos were run by organized crime groups or at least had mob ties. But as real estate investors and hotel chains got into the business, they bought out the gangsters and made it possible to run a legitimate casino without Mafia interference. Today’s casinos are choosy about who they allow to play. They focus their marketing efforts on the high rollers who spend tens of thousands of dollars at a time, and give them elaborate inducements like free spectacular entertainment, transportation, luxurious living quarters, and other extras.