The Casinos of the Twenty-First Century
Since the early 1960s, the casinos have drawn public attention. The movie Ocean’s 11 with the Rat Pack – starring George Clooney – brought the casino to the world. The film was a huge success, inspiring a remake in 2001 starring George Clooney, and even sequels. Today, there are hundreds of casinos with thousands of gaming tables, one-armed bandits, and five-star food and entertainment. These establishments attract the rich and famous and millions of dollars pass through their doors every day.
While the traditional casino games of chance and skill were once the sole domain of dealers, casinos have become much more sophisticated over the last decade. Many casinos now have video cameras and computers to monitor their games. Several have even adopted the “chip tracking” method, which involves using special betting chips with built-in microcircuitry. This allows the casino to closely monitor the wagers of high-rollers and keep a tab on the percentage of their winnings.
In the twenty-first century, casinos have become much more discerning in their selection of patrons. They now focus their attention on high rollers, which spend millions of dollars. Most of them play in special rooms separate from the casino floor, where they are greeted with lavish personal attention. In the past, casinos offered discounted travel packages and free show tickets to attract big bettors. However, in the present, most of these facilities are operated by nongambling staff, which make these services expensive.