You’re in a twinkly, noisy casino. You’ve stuffed yourself at the buffet and you’re itching to roll the dice and see if lady luck is on your side. But hold on buckaroo – gambling isn’t as glamorous as it looks in the movies.

In reality, casinos are huge, professionally run establishments that have to meet stringent safety and security standards. While crime does happen around casinos, it is rare and police are usually close by. The vast majority of people who visit casinos are not gangsters or outlaws, but ordinary visitors looking for a safe place to eat, drink and watch live (or often closed-circuit) entertainment and to gamble.

Gambling in one form or another has been a part of human civilization for millennia. Archeologists have found wooden blocks used in games of chance dating back to 2300 BC, while the oldest known card game was baccarat, which first appeared in China in the 1400s.

While the games in a casino may have some elements of skill, they all feature mathematically determined odds that give the house a certain level of profit or “house edge.” Players may be ahead for a short time, but the odds are they will lose money over the long haul.

Nevertheless, casinos are attractive to many people because they offer an escape from the dreary realities of everyday life. This is why they are designed to appeal to the senses, with flashing lights, booming music and even scents that trigger a psychological response.