The modern casino may look like an indoor amusement park or a shopping mall, but it is all about gambling. The musical shows, lighted fountains and elaborate themes only draw in the crowds; the billions of dollars raked in every year by casinos come from games of chance such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat.
Casinos are designed to make you lose track of time and keep you coming back for more. Bright colors, gaudy designs and even a lack of clocks on the gaming floor are meant to stimulate your senses and boost your adrenaline.
Something about the presence of large amounts of money encourages people to cheat and steal, either in collusion with other gamblers or even on their own. Because of this, casinos spend a lot of money on security measures.
One way is to use high-tech surveillance systems. Elaborate “eye-in-the-sky” cameras mounted in the ceiling can watch every table, window and doorway. In addition, a special room filled with banks of security monitors lets casino employees adjust the cameras to focus on suspicious patrons.
But a more subtle way to prevent theft and cheating is to have casino employees train their eyes on the patterns of gamblers’ movements, their betting habits and the ways they react to certain cards. By paying attention to these details, a casino employee can quickly spot anything out of the ordinary.