In addition to gambling, casino facilities often include top-notch hotels, spas, restaurants and bars. They may also offer live entertainment and other amenities. In the United States, casinos have a variety of table games, such as roulette and blackjack, as well as slot machines. Some casinos also feature traditional Far Eastern games such as sic bo (which spread to several European and American casinos in the 1990s) and fan-tan.
Something about gambling seems to encourage cheating and deception – perhaps it’s the presence of large sums of money. This is why casinos spend a significant amount of time, effort and money on security. Security staff keep their eyes on the floor to make sure nothing suspicious is taking place, such as blatant cheating, like palming or marking cards or dice. They also watch for betting patterns that indicate a player is chasing his losses. Table managers and pit bosses are similarly trained to spot cheating at table games.
The most recognizable casino games are card and dice, and these are found in every country with a gambling industry. Other popular casino games include roulette, craps and poker. Slot machines, however, are the economic mainstay of most American casinos. With the emergence of touch screens, slot designers have begun to employ a wide array of colors and themes to appeal to players. The centers of machine rows are usually arranged in soft, cool blue or green to appeal to the player’s sense of relaxation. Machines near the ends of the row typically employ bright red to attract attention and increase player excitement.