There was a time when, if casinos were mentioned in a sentence, the mind would immediately picture Las Vegas, Nevada. Indeed, there are still many people for whom this is true due to Vegas’ uniquely strong links to the casino business, its huge number of casinos and its place in popular culture, but as time goes on there are more casinos springing up – indeed, on-site gambling is one of the industries which has not been particularly badly bruised by the global financial crisis.

What is it that makes casinos so popular? When you think about it, they don’t offer the player that good a deal – every house has an “edge” whereby the mathematical probability of a certain eventuality is not matched in the odds that the casino offers on that happening. Although casinos will offer free items to gamblers, these items are paid for using money the casino knows it will recoup from the player. Fairness really doesn’t enter the equation.

Still, there are more casinos now than there have ever been, with many countries relaxing their gambling laws in recognition of the amount that they can take in tax from the house earnings. Because, if a casino is run correctly, it will always be in profit and the house always wins. What do the players get out of it? A lot of fun and the chance that they will be the lucky one who walks out with more money than they came in with.