There is something about the bright lights, glittering slots, and sounds of clinking coins that makes you want to keep gambling all night long. But that isn’t just a happy accident, casinos have designed the whole experience with their business goals in mind. Keeping players gambling for longer and taking more risks leads to greater profits. And to do that they employ a number of methods that play on human psychology.

A casino’s security starts on the floor, where dealers have their eyes locked on every patron and can quickly spot any blatant cheating like palming or marking cards. Table managers and pit bosses have a wider view, watching players for suspicious betting patterns that could indicate they’re cheating. A separate room full of banks of security monitors allows a high-tech eye-in-the-sky, and all these cameras can be adjusted to focus on certain patrons by security workers who aren’t even on the floor.

Of course, this level of security isn’t just for fun – it’s a necessity for any casino that wants to survive. In the past, organized crime mobsters would often invest their ill-gotten cash in Nevada and Atlantic City casinos, and they’d take full or partial ownership and manipulate gaming outcomes to their advantage. This was especially true during the mob’s heyday in the 1950s, when Mafia figures controlled much of Las Vegas’ gambling business. But since the legalization of gambling in many states, mobsters are no longer as active in casinos, although there are still plenty of mobster-owned properties.