What Is a Casino?

When someone mentions the word casino, images of bright lights, big money and glitz come to mind. From the dazzling Las Vegas strip to tiny mountain towns whose 19th century Wild West buildings house slot machines and poker tables, casinos are found throughout the United States. And while soaring hotels, shopping centers, restaurants and lighted fountains help lure in the crowds, the billions of dollars in profits raked in each year by casinos are primarily from gambling activities.

A typical modern casino features a wide variety of casino games, from the classics like blackjack and roulette to more exotic offerings such as baccarat, craps and sic bo. The majority of these casino games are based on the principle that, over time, the house will gain a statistical advantage over the players. This edge is typically no more than two percent, which does not sound like much, but it adds up to millions of dollars in annual revenue for the casinos.

Besides the traditional security measures of cameras and guards, there are also more subtle ways that casinos enforce their rules. The way the dealers shuffle and deal cards, the positioning of betting spots on the table and the expected reactions and motions of players all follow certain patterns. If someone strays from these expectations, it is easier for casino security to spot this.

The precise origin of casino gambling is not known, but it is believed that some form of the activity has existed in virtually every culture worldwide. The first casinos developed in the 16th century during a gambling craze that swept Europe. The name “casino” probably came from the Italian word for a small clubhouse where gentlemen met to play cards or other games.