A Casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are most famous for offering a wide variety of gambling games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, keno, and poker. Most casinos also offer hotel rooms, restaurants, non-gambling entertainment, and other amenities for their guests.
Gambling almost certainly predates recorded history, with primitive protodice like cut knuckle bones and carved six-sided dice being found in some of the world’s oldest archaeological sites. The modern casino, however, did not really develop until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe and Italian nobles would hold private parties in “ridotti” that were technically illegal but often ignored by authorities [Source: Schwartz].
Today, casinos are massive, sprawling facilities that provide a multitude of ways to gamble, along with restaurants, hotels, spas, and non-gambling entertainment. They often feature impressive decor and a mindblowing number of games. Some of the biggest casinos are even located in places known for their gambling, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Because large sums of money are handled within a casino, security is an important part of any casino. Most casinos employ a variety of measures to prevent patrons from cheating or stealing, either in collusion with other players or on their own. Cameras are ubiquitous, and sophisticated technology is used to monitor the games themselves; for instance, specialized chips have microcircuitry that allow casinos to monitor bets minute-by-minute and alert them to any statistical deviations.