Today, the United States is home to over 1,000 casinos, and their numbers are only continuing to rise. Over 40 states are home to a casino in some form, with more cities becoming legalized in recent decades. While the Las Vegas Valley is home to the most casinos in the country, Atlantic City and the Chicago region rank second and third respectively for revenue. Despite their size, however, casinos in the U.S. aren’t necessarily a good indicator of a city’s quality of life.
A casino’s house edge – is the difference between the true odds and the payouts. The edge varies with different games, but is generally expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher the casino’s edge. In general, the higher the advantage, the better for the casino. To keep the advantage in perspective, let’s consider a few common casino games. This will give you an idea of how much money is at stake.
House edge – In general, casinos have an advantage in playing the game based on the house’s edge. This advantage comes from the casino’s commission, known as the rake. In addition to the house edge, casinos sometimes offer comps and other complimentary items to players. This allows them to give away items or services in exchange for a percentage of the customer’s bet. The house edge is the percentage of the house’s profit, which is the reason why casinos have an advantage over their customers.
