The House Edge at a Casino
Many proponents of a casino claim that its presence has contributed to the reduction of local unemployment rates. While this is certainly true, the unemployment rate in the area should be compared to the statewide rate to determine whether the casino has actually helped with local unemployment. Furthermore, the employment growth at the casino may be a natural cycle of business, and may not reflect a specific cause for the casino’s popularity in the local community. It should be noted, however, that local economic growth is often based on changes in other sectors.
Math experts call it the law of large numbers. This means that the casino has an advantage over the gambler due to the fact that they deal with large numbers, while the gambler deals with small ones. The difference in these numbers means that the casino will win or lose on any given bet, while the gambler will have a smaller chance of winning. In essence, a casino can never completely eliminate the mathematical edge of its players, but it can get close.
The house edge is a percentage that determines whether the casino has an advantage or not over the players. In most cases, the casino has a small advantage over players, known as the rake. Depending on the casino, the house advantage can be reduced to one-half of a percent. The house advantage is a significant factor in the casino’s bottom line. Despite the advantage that casinos have over the players, they still take a large portion of the winnings.