What is a Casino?
A casino, or gaming hall, is a facility for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos are much like an indoor amusement park for adults, with the majority of the entertainment derived from gambling (slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps, keno, etc). Casinos earn billions of dollars in profit annually.
The precise origin of gambling is unknown, but it is generally believed to have been a part of human culture for millennia. Evidence of gambling has been found in many societies, from ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, to Roman and Elizabethan England.
There are several ways to gamble, but casinos remain the most popular form of gambling in the United States. These large facilities are designed to appeal to the eye, offering a lavish atmosphere with restaurants and bars. They usually feature numerous gaming tables and slots, as well as a variety of other entertaining activities such as high-profile live entertainment.
Although most patrons are treated as welcome guests and a great deal of money changes hands, it is not uncommon for some people to attempt to cheat or steal, either in collusion with staff or independently. Because of the large amounts of money that are handled within a casino, security measures are in place to deter these attempts. These security measures are often a combination of physical and electronic security, including closed circuit television surveillance. These security measures are often augmented by the use of trained casino staff to monitor activities.