The term casino is most often used to describe a gambling establishment, but it also applies to any place that offers games of chance and skill. These games can take place in massive resorts or in small card rooms. Slot machines and table games are the primary attractions, but casinos often offer other forms of entertainment as well, such as concerts, shows, and food courts. Successful casinos generate billions of dollars each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that run them. They also bring in tax revenues for local governments. Despite the economic benefits, some studies suggest that compulsive gambling harms the social fabric of communities and actually reduces overall gambling revenue.
Casinos are primarily owned and operated by private corporations, but some are public. Many state and local governments regulate casino gambling. Others prohibit it altogether or limit it to certain venues, such as racetracks or riverboats. In some cases, gaming is conducted on tribal lands. The word casino is derived from the Latin word for table, meaning a flat surface where games are played. The most popular table games are poker and blackjack, but casinos also feature dice games, wheel games, and other board games that use boards, cards, or tokens as the playing pieces.
Most casinos have elaborate security measures to protect the assets and patrons in their care. In addition to hiring high-quality dealers and security personnel, they rely on cameras and other technological devices to monitor the activities of their patrons. These surveillance systems are usually controlled from a separate room in the casino filled with banks of security monitors. The camera system is often able to zoom in on specific suspicious patrons and can track betting patterns that might indicate cheating or theft.
In addition to the technology, casinos enforce security by setting rules and regulations that govern how players must behave at the tables and slot machines. For example, players at casino table games must keep their hands visible to the dealer at all times. A casino that fails to comply with these rules could be fined or lose its gaming license.
Another way casinos protect their assets is by offering perks to big bettors, called comps. These perks include free hotel rooms, food, drinks, and show tickets. The perks are designed to encourage gamblers to spend more money. Casinos typically calculate a player’s loyalty level and reward him or her accordingly.
In the early days of casino gambling, organized crime figures supplied much of the capital for new ventures. Mobster money gave casinos a prestigious image and helped them attract customers from across the country. However, federal crackdowns on illegal rackets and the risk of losing a license to operate at the slightest hint of mob involvement eventually forced legitimate businessmen to take over casino operations. They found that they could make more money by running a casino without the Mafia’s taint of crime and corruption. This strategy was successful, and major real estate developers and hotel chains now control most of the nation’s casinos.
