Ten Casinos That Will Have You Throwing Down Chips

The casinos featured here are some of the most decadent temples of temptation on earth, offering everything from opulent rooms to world-class gaming. From the glitz of Las Vegas to the glamour of Monaco, these ten places will have you throwing down chips and seeing what fate has in store.

Gambling has long been a popular pastime in most societies. While some forms of gambling have been legalized in most states, others are banned or restricted by law. In the US, for example, the legality of casinos depends on state laws and on whether they are operated by a licensed club. Regardless of legality, most casino operations depend on a mathematically determined advantage that gives the house an edge over the players, called the house edge or expected value. In games with skill, such as blackjack and baccarat, the house advantage is less than in those without, such as roulette or craps.

To keep their advantage, casinos use a variety of technologies to supervise the games and protect their assets. For instance, in “chip tracking” systems, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that allows casinos to oversee the amounts wagered on each game minute by minute and quickly discover any statistical deviations from their expected results. Most casinos also employ dedicated mathematicians and computer programmers to analyze the odds of casino games. These specialists are known as gaming mathematicians or analysts. They determine the house edge and variance for each game.