When you step into a casino, you walk in with your wallet full of cash and plans for some enjoyable, sensible gaming and maybe two rounds of cocktails. But hours later, you’re at the ATM again – and you have no idea what time it is, how many drinks you’ve had or where your money went.

It’s not your fault, really. You’ve been manipulated by the casinos. Every aspect of a casino is designed to lead you into spending more money. From the moment you step inside, dazzling lights and cheerful sounds create a manufactured sense of bliss that’s hard to resist. Casinos even spray scented oils through their ventilation systems to keep you smelling nice and feeling good.

Most people don’t realize that they’re being manipulated, but they should. The house always wins in gambling. That’s because casinos are businesses whose goal is to make a profit. And they have a number of tricks to make sure you lose your money.

Casinos are a huge source of revenue for local governments. They usually bring in enough tax revenue to fund community services, help reduce unemployment rates and raise the average wage of the immediate neighborhood.

Another major benefit is that casinos often bring in skilled workers from outside the area. That can be a problem for some local officials who are concerned about the unemployment rate of the original population. But if the casino is located in a large, urban area, it’s likely that the skilled labor needed to run the casino will come from nearby areas.