A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships and other tourist attractions. They may also offer convention facilities and live entertainment. In the United States, casinos are licensed and regulated by state governments. In addition, some are owned and operated by Native American tribes.
Modern casinos have security measures in place to prevent cheating or stealing by patrons and employees, both of which are fairly common. For example, most casinos have closed circuit television (CCTV) to monitor activities in and around the casino. In addition, casino security staff usually patrol the premises and respond to calls for assistance or to reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity.
The best casinos in the world boast palatial architecture and enormous indoor and outdoor space. These mega-resorts are not just for gamblers; they offer five-star hotel rooms, Michelin star restaurants, designer shops and top-billed entertainment shows.
Gambling in its many forms has been a part of human culture for millennia. Evidence of early games of chance date back to 2300 BC in China, with dice appearing in Rome in 500 AD and card-playing in the 1400s. Modern-day casinos offer a variety of games of chance and skill, with the latter typically conducted by one or more live dealers. Some casinos hire gaming mathematicians and computer programmers to help them understand how various games of chance and skill operate, so they can adjust their house edges and/or variance accordingly.
