A Casino is a place where people go to gamble and play games of chance. Although gambling is a popular pastime, not everyone is a winner. Casinos are a big business and make billions of dollars in profits every year. Some casinos offer musical shows, elaborate restaurants and shopping centers, but the vast majority of revenue is generated by gaming. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno are some of the games that bring in the money.
Gambling is believed to be one of the oldest forms of entertainment, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice found in some of the earliest archaeological sites. But the casino as a place where gamblers could find a variety of different games under one roof didn’t develop until the 16th century when a gambling craze swept Europe. Rich European nobles held private parties at their homes, which were called ridotti, where gambling was the primary activity.
The mob was a major force in the development of casinos, financing them with money earned from drug dealing, extortion and other illegal activities. As a result, casinos often had a seamy image and were considered a seedy place to spend money. The mob’s involvement did not deter legitimate businesses from entering the market, however. Real estate investors and hotel chains saw the potential of making huge profits, and they were able to buy out the mobsters and run casinos without their mafia connections. The modern casino is a high-tech facility with cameras mounted throughout the building that are monitored by security personnel in a separate room filled with banks of video screens.