Many of you have heard the word casino many times. Some have seen casinos in movies and magazines, however few have ever actually stepped into a casino. Historical perceptions have over the years have casinos seen as dens of sin almost similar to whore houses. Casinos were viewed with a lot of suspicion by the larger public. Also they were associated with the whites and later wealthy Indians. Since few Africans set foot in a casino and therefore largely knew little of what goes on in there, myths and rumors were conjured most of which were negative and scary. People were told that casinos are where people lose all their wealth in a flash. Shady characters were linked to casinos and it was said many shady deals are conducted in casinos. Also, movies did not do justice to casinos as they almost always depicted them as such.
The word casino is of Italian origin. However the precise origin of gambling is unknown. What is known however is that gambling in some form or another has existed in almost every society from time immemorial. From ancient Greeks and Romans to the age of Napoleon and Elizabethan England much of history is filled with stories of entertainment based on games of chance. Casinos and their games as we know them today have evolved over a long period of time. Kenya’s first casino was opened in 1969 in Nairobi. Over time many others opened shop and many also closed. However, quite a number exist today in Nairobi and other major towns.
So, what exactly goes on in a casino? Quite a number of things actually. The main thing is gambling or betting if you may. Casinos offer many games of chance in which players stake their money for a chance to win more. Most of these games are table card games played on special tables with unique markings and rules using cards. The games are mostly operated by dealers who are casino employees such as croupiers or poker dealers. Such games include blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat. Many of you may have seen roulette tables with large rotating wheels as they are mainly used by movie creators to depict happenings in casinos. Players usually play against the house. The games themselves are interesting and usually require a sharp mathematical mind. Apart from table games we have machine games usually slot machines in which players insert special coins to get a chance at play. Upon winning the machine may release a lot of coins for collection by the player. Other games offered include bingo games and sports betting. Contrary to what many people may think, Casinos usually use special chips and tokens rather than actual cash to conduct play. These chips and tokens are usually exchanged at the cashier’s desk for equivalent worth. Most casinos use their own unique chips and tokens.
Apart from gaming, casinos have bars and restaurants offering food and refreshments to players and other customers. Of interest to note is that most of this food and drinks are given for free to players as complementary based on one’s play amounts on the tables and slot machines. The decision is mainly made by table or floor managers who authorize the complementary give away. Therefore, actual ‘cash’ sales in these bars and restaurants are minimal as majority is complimentary. Also, many casinos offer the service of Forex exchange. Others even hold events such as hosting shows such as comedy or fashion shows. They also offer big screen TV’s especially at the bars for live viewing of major sporting events such as soccer.
So, why exactly have many of you not gone into a casino you may ask. The main reason is that casinos are exclusive. Most are located in exclusive locations accessible only by a few and mostly by those driving. Also due to the fact that the main business is playing money, security is usually a priority in casino location. Many hire both private security and police to supplement security. The other reason is that by their nature casinos are high class high cost establishments. Most are executively and expensively designed and furnished, therefore service including food and drinks is above average. As such they are frequented by the well off. Again, a lot of casino clients are repeat customers. New clients who come in and are unaccompanied by a regular are usually viewed with a bit of suspicion and they may notice this thereby feeling a bit uncomfortable. The last reason is that most people have no business going into a casino as they neither know the games nor have an interest in gambling.
Are casinos as bad as we all think they are? Probably not. Yes, people do lose their wealth in casinos. Others do develop problem gambling out of addiction. But on the overall casinos have an important role and impact in the economy. Few of you know that a single casino house may employ up to 150 employees of different cadres from managers, dealers, waiters, technicians, cleaners and security. In comparison, if the same house was only a bar and restaurant it would employ an average of 30 employees only. Note casinos mainly run 24 hours. Again, casinos are big tax payers. The average annual licence to operate a casino issued by the betting control and licensing board costs close to a million bob. In addition one still pays the normal business taxes like the single business permit, liquor licence, health certificates etc. Compare that to a normal bar and restaurant that pays on average ksh 100,000. Casinos are also tourist attractions and have been the basis of many cities such as Las Vegas in the US. They promote the exchange of money from the haves to have not’s rather than the money remaining in the bank accounts of the wealthy. So venture into one you might learn something. [ATTACH=full]33081[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]33082[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]33083[/ATTACH]