marceloburlonA casino is a gambling establishment where customers play games of chance, or skill (in some cases both). The most common games include blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker. In addition to gambling they often serve food and drink. They may also offer live entertainment or sporting events. Most casinos are operated by large corporations, but there are some independents. Casinos are regulated by law and some have national franchises. They are often located in resorts or hotels. In the United States, most casinos are found in Atlantic City and on American Indian reservations.
Something about gambling encourages people to cheat or steal in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage. This is one reason that casinos spend a great deal of time and money on security. The use of cameras, for example, is common throughout a casino. These cameras monitor the games and the patrons for any suspicious activity. Casinos also employ a number of people to watch over the games and the patrons. Pit bosses and table managers oversee table games, looking for blatant cheating like palming or marking cards or dice. They can also keep track of the amount of money their tables are winning or losing.
Slot machines are a major source of revenue for many casinos, accounting for a greater proportion of profits than any other game. These machines use varying bands of colored shapes that roll on reels (actual physical reels or video representations). A player inserts money and then presses a button to spin the reels. When a winning combination appears, the player receives a predetermined amount of money. The house edge on most slot machines is high, but the player’s skill or strategy can reduce it.
Another way casinos generate income is by giving away free goods and services to certain players. These freebies are called comps, and they may include food, drinks and hotel rooms, or even airline tickets and limo service. Casinos often rate their players based on the amount of money they lose or win, and those with high ratings are eligible for comps.
Gambling almost certainly predates recorded history, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice among the earliest archaeological finds. The modern casino, however, did not develop until the 16th century during a gambling craze that swept Europe. In Europe the casino was a place for wealthy people to gamble and socialize in private rooms known as ridotti.
Because of the taint associated with crime, legitimate businessmen were reluctant to invest in the fledgling industry. In Nevada, where casinos were legalized in the 1950s, mafia members provided much of the funding, taking full or partial ownership of many of the casinos and arranging for protection from state antigambling laws. They also financed the building of many of Las Vegas’s landmark buildings. The casino has since become an international business. Today, there are more than 3,000 casino worldwide. In the United States, casino gambling is largely limited to Atlantic City and on American Indian reservations, but several other cities have casinos.
