A casino is a place where gamblers play games of chance. These games include slot machines, video poker, table games and roulette. The casinos make money from the gambling revenues, a small percentage of which goes to the owners and operators of the establishments.
The word “casino” has its roots in the Italian language, where it refers to a gambling establishment. However, not all casinos are used for gambling. Some are theatres and other places for public events, and some have never been used for gambling.
Casinos are usually found in cities, and on American Indian reservations. They also appear in Europe, Asia and South America.
The world’s largest casinos are located in Las Vegas, Nevada; Macau, China; and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Some are owned by major corporations, like Hilton Hotels and Donald Trump, while others are run by mobsters.
Security and safety
Casinos use elaborate surveillance systems to keep their patrons safe from crime. These systems use cameras to watch the entire casino at once, change windows and doorways, and can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of security monitors.
Some casinos offer a catwalk in the ceiling above the gaming floor, allowing surveillance personnel to look directly down on the activities at the tables and slot machines. This gives the casino a high-tech “eye in the sky” that helps prevent theft or cheating at the games.