Casinos may seem like fun and exciting places to spend a night out with friends, but they are also money machines that rake in billions of dollars each year. Musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and lavish hotels draw people into casinos, but the actual gambling is what drives people to keep coming back, no matter how much they lose.

Casino owners and managers know the key to making sure people gamble as much as possible is to make them feel at home, create a party atmosphere, and get them to stay as long as they can. The decor of a casino is designed to be stimulating, and the color red is used because it’s believed to make people lose track of time. There are no clocks on casino walls, and the lighting is bright to make visitors feel energized.

In addition to creating a stimulating environment, casinos focus on customer service. They provide perks to encourage people to spend more and reward those who do, including free food and drinks. Casinos are also choosier about which high-rollers to target and offer them comps that can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Something about gambling seems to inspire people to cheat or steal in order to win, which is why casinos devote a lot of time and money to security. Employees are trained to look for a variety of suspicious behaviors, such as palming, marking or switching cards. They are also trained to spot betting patterns that may indicate cheating.