A casino is a place where people can gamble on various games of chance. Modern casinos offer a wide variety of gambling opportunities, including slot machines, roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, craps and more. Some casinos add other entertainment amenities to attract patrons, such as restaurants, shopping centers and dramatic scenery. While these luxuries help draw people to the casino, they are not essential to its operation. Even without the glitz, casinos would still be places where people could play various games of chance and gamble for money.
Casinos spend a lot of time and money on security. Security personnel patrol the floor and watch over the casino’s patrons to spot shady activity. They look for a variety of suspicious activities, such as tampering with the results of a game or trying to cheat. Casinos also use sophisticated cameras that give them a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” view of the entire casino. These cameras can be adjusted to focus on a particular table or window, and they can also be reviewed later.
Although gambling probably predates recorded history, the casino as a place for gamblers to find a variety of ways to wager did not develop until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe. In Italy, wealthy nobles used to hold private parties called ridotti, where they played primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice [Source: Schwartz].