The casino is like an indoor amusement park for adults, with the vast majority of entertainment (and profits for the owners) coming from gambling. While musical shows, lighted fountains and luxury hotels help draw in the crowds, casinos would not exist without games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps provide the billions of dollars in profits that casinos rake in each year.
Casinos are a major tourist attraction and source of revenue for cities, states and countries around the world. In the United States alone, about 51 million people visited a casino in 2002, according to the American Gaming Association. That figure includes domestic and foreign visitors.
In addition to the games themselves, casinos use a variety of tricks and traps to lure players into spending money that they don’t have. For example, they often use bright colors on floors and walls that have a stimulating effect and can make it difficult to keep track of time. Many casinos do not display clocks on their premises, and they often employ red curtains that have the same effect.
Some casinos have a more elegant feel, such as the Grand Lisboa in Macau, which is known for its luxurious hotel and top-notch restaurants. It is designed to look like the façade of a European city, and its restaurant, Robuchon au Dome, has earned three Michelin stars for 14 straight years. It is also a frequent film location, appearing in several James Bond movies and other films.
