The casino industry is based on the idea that the casino hosts encourage people to gamble. The host’s job is to attract patrons, which may include problem gamblers. The casino owner focuses on high rollers, who spend tens of thousands of dollars. They often play in exclusive rooms separate from the casino floor. High rollers make the casino profitable because they get pampered by lavish personal attention, free comps, and luxury suites.
The casino industry has developed formulas to predict a gambler’s “lifetime value.” Then, based on the value of their gambling habits, they assign these gamblers to different rankings. Those who lose the most money are labeled as “whales,” while those who win the most become repeat customers. The casino industry markets aggressively to these customers to ensure that they stay and play for years to come. This practice has resulted in a surge in gambling revenues.
Since gambling is illegal in most states, the business of casino operations has evolved. During the 1950s, casinos started sprouting up in Las Vegas and Reno. Legitimate businessmen were reluctant to enter the industry, but organized crime figures had plenty of cash from their illegal rackets and didn’t mind the casino’s seamy image. The money flowed into Reno and Las Vegas casinos, and the mafia even took part in some of them.
In addition to poker, blackjack, roulette, and slot machines, the casino offers traditional Far Eastern games. Fan-tan, pai-gow, and sic bo spread to European and American casinos in the 1990s, and today there are Asian casinos. The Asian continent is also home to a large number of locally-popular games, such as two-up and banca francesa, boule, and kalooki. Those who have visited casinos in different parts of the world may want to know more about their regional casinos.