# How do casinos make money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226 "2018-03-26T20:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/81 "2018-03-29T07:39:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > One of the newer things is Vegas and elsewhere is “Bubble Craps,” where all betting and rolling are done by machine. Quite a deal for the casino, since 1) it’s much less intimidating for newcomers, 2) they don’t have to pay three dealers and a pit boss, and 3) they tweak the payouts and only let you take 2X odds. But it was a great way to teach my wife craps (we got back from Vegas about 2 hours ago). I’ve played those machines before. They’re fun, and much less expensive than a regular crap table–typically, the minimum is $5 as opposed to $15 at a staffed crap table. The crowd is just as enthusiastic and supportive as at a regular table, so I will play them again, but it’s just not the same as when the stickman pushes five dice towards you and says, “Select two, sir. It’s your roll.” A few corrections as regards terminology: – On the come-out roll, a roll of 2, 3, or 12 (technically, “craps”) means that the shooter has “crapped out.” The shooter can continue to roll. – On a point roll, after a point has been established, rolling a 7 before the point means that the shooter has “sevened-out,” and must pass the dice to the next shooter. There’s a difference between “crapping out” and “sevening-out.” ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/82 "2018-03-29T11:29:52Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > You’re missing the point. ‘Missing the point’ is also called ‘Rolling a seven.’ Just for fun, I plan to fly down to [Monte Carlo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_method) tonight and play several hundred thousand rounds of craps. Perhaps it will help settle this dispute. 😛 I’m bringing eight players along: four take 2X Odds; the others never take Odds. Four are “right” bettors; the other four bet “wrong” (on Do\_Not). Four bet every Come (Don’t\_Come) opportunity; the other four only bet on Come-out rolls. I’ve got room for more players; submit your betting policy and I’ll play on your behalf. 🙂 _ **I want to double-check one rule** _. Suppose the point is Four in a casino which offers 2X odds. You can place an additional $20 after a $10 come bet, or up to $40 after a $10 Don’t\_Come bet. Correct? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/83 "2018-03-29T11:39:19Z")
Penn & Teller used to do a bit that went like this: “Everyone who comes to Las Vegas has the same problem: you all suffer from bad math. That’s right. You see a sign that says 99% return on slots and you think you’re winning. That’s bad math.” Like I tell people: we don’t build these places because people win. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/84 "2018-03-30T19:39:09Z")
[Here’s](https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/02/11/your-guide-to-understanding-casino-earnings.aspx) a nice description of the different ways casinos make their money and how they categorize it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/85 "2018-03-30T20:58:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Just a correction to **Corry El** - Casinos don’t live off of problem gamblers. These days they live off of LA trust-fund douche bags, bottle service and “beach clubs.” Who says a lot of those people aren’t problem gamblers? Casino operations absolutely do make a lot of money from gambling addicts; estimates range depending on the study but a shocking number estimate the figure to be 25 percent or higher, with some gusting as high as half. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226/86 "2018-03-31T04:05:50Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > There have been some studies done: > > [2016 Las Vegas casino revenue reports show drastic shift in focus](https://www.covers.com/editorial/Article/831acb1e-b51e-e711-80cb-44a8423171c1/2016-Las-Vegas-casino-revenue-reports-show-drastic-shift-in-focus) That reminds me up until the early 00s you could still get rooms at like Circus Circus for about $10 a night. The last time I checked a few months ago cheapest place was $70 way off the strip (YMMV though, I was going off Priceline) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-casinos-make-money/811226.md?page=4)