A casino, or gaming house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Some states have legalized casinos, and others prohibit them. In the United States, there are more than 2,000 licensed casinos and 619 hotel casinos.
The term ‘casino’ is also used for a place where horse racing or sports betting takes place. Some state legislatures have passed laws to regulate the operation of casinos in their jurisdiction, and some countries, such as Australia and Singapore, have national licensing regimes for casinos.
Many of the world’s most famous casinos are located in exotic locations and have played a role in films, books and other media. The Monte Carlo Casino, for example, has featured in numerous movies and has been visited by royalty, celebrities and politicians including Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and The Beatles. The Ritz Casino in London is another renowned venue that has attracted VIPs such as the Prince of Wales and David Lloyd George.
While it is impossible to say where the world’s largest casino will be in ten years’ time, it is safe to assume that there will be more to come from the Asian region, which already features six entries on this list compared to Las Vegas’ zero. Meanwhile, online gambling continues to grow in popularity and it may not be long before this trend sees the top ten list change considerably.