What Is a Casino?

Casino is a gambling establishment that offers a wide range of games to its clients. These games can be either electronic or live. In addition to gaming, this establishment also features entertainment and dining options.

While the modern casino looks more like an indoor amusement park than a gambling facility, its primary function is to provide gambling-related services. Musical shows, lighted fountains and elaborate hotels help to draw in the crowds, but casinos would not exist without the billions of dollars in profits they rake in every year from games of chance such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps.

Despite their seamy image, mobsters provided the financial backing for the initial casinos in Nevada and later for those opened when other states legalized gambling. They were not afraid of the taint associated with gambling and often took sole or partial ownership of the properties. They often used the casinos as a front for other illegal activities, such as drug dealing and extortion.

Because large sums of money are handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with one another or independently. As a result, most casinos spend a significant amount of time and money on security measures. This includes the use of cameras that monitor all areas of the facility. The camera system provides a high-tech eye-in-the-sky and can be directed to focus on specific suspicious patrons by security workers in a room filled with banks of security monitors.