Casinos are places where people can place bets on a variety of games. They are often built near hotels, restaurants or retail stores.
Gambling can be a fun way to spend time and money, but it’s also very serious business. The gambling industry makes billions of dollars each year.
The History of the Casino
The term casino originated in Italy and was originally used to describe a small clubhouse where Italians could meet for social gatherings. When larger public gambling houses closed down, casino owners moved their operations into these smaller establishments.
Today, most casinos offer a variety of games including slot machines, black jack roulette, craps, keno and poker. These games all have a casino advantage, which varies from game to game and is typically no more than two percent.
Security in Casinos
In modern casinos, security starts on the floor and is supplemented by specialized surveillance departments. Dealers keep a close eye on the gaming tables, while pit bosses and table managers watch for cheating or theft of other patrons’ money.
Video cameras in the ceiling and a closed circuit television system known as the “eye in the sky” monitor the entire casino at once. The camera feeds are recorded and analyzed, so if there is a problem the casino can trace the culprit and arrest them. These elaborate systems also allow the casino to monitor all the betting chips in the tables and alert the players when their wagers aren’t accurately recorded.