When most Americans think of a casino, they imagine one of the megaresorts on the Las Vegas Strip-a huge hotel and entertainment complex bursting with neon lights and fun games. But casinos are much more than that. They’re also found in exotic locales such as Venice, Monaco, and Singapore.

Like other businesses in a capitalist society, casinos exist to make money. And successful casinos rake in billions of dollars each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that own them. In addition, state and local governments benefit from the gambling industry through taxes and fees.

Most people who gamble at casinos do so in the form of table games, such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. These games require a certain level of skill, and players can minimize the house’s edge by following basic strategy. The mathematical odds are always against game players, however, and the average person who plays for an hour at a roulette wheel will lose about $5.26 an hour in the long run, according to PBS Frontline.

In order to attract gamblers, casinos use a variety of tricks to entice them. For example, slot machines are designed to appeal to the senses of sight and sound. They’re decorated with bright colors and flashing lights, and the sounds they make — the clicking of coins, the bells that announce payouts, and the “cling clang” noise of dropping the coins — are tuned to a musical key so that they can blend into the overall ambience of the casino.