What Is a Casino?

A casino is a gambling establishment where customers gamble using cash or other casino chips in games of chance, often with an element of skill. Casinos also offer a variety of entertainment activities such as concerts and shows. In the United States, the term casino may refer to a specific gaming facility or to an entire building or complex of rooms dedicated to various types of gambling.

Modern casinos are heavily invested in security. A typical large casino has a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department that operates closed circuit television, referred to in the industry as the “eye-in-the-sky”. Casinos use this technology to monitor everything from the number of people entering the casino to their movements within it, with the goal of detecting cheating or other criminal activity.

Something about gambling attracts dishonest people, who are willing to lie, cheat or steal in order to win. For this reason, most casinos have a significant amount of security staff, although many larger casinos outsource this work to independent companies.

Gambling probably predates recorded history, with primitive protodice and carved knucklebones appearing in ancient archaeological sites. But the idea of a place where people could find a variety of ways to gamble under one roof didn’t develop until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe. Italian aristocrats would gather in private clubs known as ridotti, where they would play a variety of games. These clubs were technically illegal, but the aristocracy wasn’t bothered by the authorities because gambling was considered an acceptable way to relieve boredom and stress.