Security Measures at a Casino
A Casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games of chance. The most common casino game is slot machine, which gives the establishment a large percentage of its total income. Players put money in a slot machine, pull a handle or push a button and watch bands of colored shapes roll on the reels (actual physical ones or a video representation of them). When a winning pattern emerges, the player is paid a predetermined amount.
With so much cash changing hands in a single day, casinos may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or independently. Security measures are therefore very important. Casinos use cameras, and security staff observe the activities of patrons at all times to spot cheating and suspicious betting patterns. A more subtle aspect of security involves the routines and patterns that exist at each casino table. The way dealers shuffle and deal cards, the locations of the betting spots on the table and expected reactions and movements by players all follow particular patterns that can be spotted by security people.
Casinos also employ a range of other security measures, including random bag checks of incoming and outgoing guests, employee screening and security surveillance of the gaming floor. Many casinos, especially in the United States, are owned and operated by major investment banks. This reduces the risk of mob influence, although organized crime families still have considerable power in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.