A casino, or a collection of gambling rooms, is a popular entertainment center and draws visitors from around the world. Guests play a wide variety of games, including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and slot machines. The modern casino is a large building designed around noise, light, and excitement. Its main source of income is gambling, with slots, black jack, roulette, and craps making up the majority of the billions of dollars raked in by casinos every year.

Although gambling almost certainly predates recorded history, the casino as a place to find a variety of ways to gamble under one roof did not develop until the 16th century. At that time, a gambling craze swept Europe, and wealthy Italian aristocrats frequently held private parties in structures called ridotti to indulge their passion.

Modern casinos employ an enormous amount of technology to ensure their customers are not defrauded. In addition to the security guards who patrol the floor, high-tech surveillance systems provide a “eye-in-the-sky” view of the entire casino. Casinos use this technology to monitor everything from the number of chips a patron places on the table to the movements of the roulette wheels. Any statistical deviations from expected results can be immediately detected and reported.

Although the mob once controlled many casinos, their influence waned during the 1980s and 1990s, and large businessmen and hotel chains took over. These legitimate casino operators have much deeper pockets than the mobsters, and are more willing to pay for top-notch security services. Casinos have also begun to pop up on American Indian reservations, which are exempt from state antigambling laws.