What Is a Casino?

A casino is a gambling establishment that offers one or more types of chance-based games. In addition to slot machines and table games, many casinos offer restaurants, bars, and stage shows. In some cases, they are combined with hotels or resorts. Other times, they are free-standing facilities. A casino is not to be confused with a gaming house, which is a place where bingo or other card games are played for money.

A large part of a casino’s profits come from compulsive gamblers, who generate a substantial percentage of the revenue. This is why casinos spend a lot of time and effort on security. Casinos employ a variety of techniques to prevent cheating and stealing, from pit bosses who supervise each game to video cameras that watch the players. Casinos also use special chips with built-in microcircuitry to monitor betting patterns and warn employees of any anomalies; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviations from expected results.

The first modern casinos were built in Nevada, where gambling was legal. They grew rapidly in popularity, drawing tourists from all over the world. In the 1980s, a number of American states amended their laws to allow casinos, often on Indian reservations and sometimes on riverboats. Other casinos opened in countries such as France, Japan, and Argentina. In the 1990s, casino owners realized that the market for casinos was global and began building them in other nations.