A casino is a gambling hall or facility with table games such as blackjack, roulette and craps. A casino also has slot machines and a variety of other games. Successful casinos rake in billions of dollars each year. These profits are split among a host of entities including the owners, shareholders, employees and the state, city or town in which the casino is located.
The word casino is derived from the Italian, Casino, meaning “little house.” This name was applied to small private clubhouses for gambling social occasions, and to the places where they held these meetings. As the closing of large public gambling houses pushed gamblers into these smaller clubs, the name was applied to the facilities themselves.
Unlike the traditional gambling houses of the past, modern casinos are designed around noise, light and excitement to attract gamblers. Music and performers energize the crowd and waiters bring them drinks. Casinos are a major source of entertainment and profits for many cities and towns in the United States, as well as the world.
Casino patrons may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with other players or independently. To discourage this, casinos employ a variety of security measures. These often include a high-tech eye-in-the-sky system of cameras that monitor every table, change in window or doorway. In addition to these visible security measures, casinos employ other subtle ways to protect their assets.
In the twentieth century, casino ownership has consolidated. Once dominated by mob families, the industry became attractive to real estate investors and hotel chains who could afford to pay off the mobsters. As a result, the mobsters are now less of a factor in the growth and success of casino gambling, although they still operate a few illegal casinos.