What is a Casino?

A Casino is a place for people to gamble. The modern casino is like an indoor amusement park for adults, with most of the entertainment (and profits for the owners) coming from gambling games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno provide the billions in profits that casinos pull in every year.

While it is impossible to completely prevent cheating and stealing by both patrons and staff, many casinos have strict security measures in place. Elaborate surveillance systems provide a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky,” where cameras monitor every table, window and doorway in the entire casino. Some of these systems have the ability to focus on certain suspicious patrons, and can be adjusted remotely by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of computer screens.

Some casinos reward frequent players with free goods and services such as hotel rooms, dinners, show tickets or airline flights. These rewards are known as comps. Most casinos also have a player’s club, which gives members points that can be redeemed for additional prizes.

Although the precise history of gambling is unknown, it is widely believed that it predates recorded history, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice found in the oldest archaeological sites [Source: Schwartz]. Historically, some form of gaming has been popular throughout Europe and America, from Renaissance Italy to Elizabethan England to Napoleon’s France. Modern casinos offer a wide variety of games of chance, with some even offering live dealer interaction.