To prevent cheating in the casino, a few precautions are in order. Firstly, you should gamble with money you can afford to lose. Always carry cash with you to the casino and leave your bank cards at home. You should also make sure that you don’t borrow any money from anyone and don’t spend more than you can afford to lose. Set a time limit for yourself before you enter the casino and ideally, use the pre-commitment facility to limit the time you spend there.
There is also the issue of house advantage. While you are playing against the house, it is important to remember that a casino has an advantage over you, in some cases as little as two percent. The advantage is known as rake or “vig,” and varies between games. The higher the house edge, the more money the casino will keep. In addition to this, casinos may charge you based on how much time you spend playing poker in their rooms.
Comps are also important. Casinos will reward frequent gamblers with bonuses for spending larger amounts of money. These bonuses are usually much lower, however, and can be used for a range of services, including free slot play, discounted food, drinks, or even shows. Apart from being beneficial for the casino’s bottom line, comps are also an invaluable marketing tool. The databases of frequent users can be used to track trends and to plan advertising campaigns.