A casino is an establishment for gambling. It may also refer to an organization which runs such establishments, or a building which is specifically designed for such purposes. Casinos are generally associated with games of chance, but many offer other activities as well, such as restaurants and shopping. Some casinos are built in combination with hotels, resorts, cruise ships or other tourist attractions.
A recent survey of American adults found that about 24% had visited a casino in the past year. Of those, almost two-thirds were women. Typical casino patrons are wealthy and relatively educated, with household incomes above average. The average age is forty-six, and they are largely parents with children.
Gambling in some form has been a part of human culture for millennia. Dice first appeared in China around 2300 BC, and playing cards became popular in Europe during the 1400s. In the United States, casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, and it took decades for the industry to spread across the nation. During that time, organized crime figures provided the funds needed to keep the businesses running, and they had no problem with gambling’s seamy reputation.
Security at a casino starts on the gaming floor, where employees are trained to look for blatant cheating such as palming and marking dice. Pit bosses and table managers oversee each game, keeping track of betting patterns that may indicate a pattern of dishonesty. Elaborate surveillance systems provide a “smart eye in the sky,” with cameras that can be adjusted to zero in on suspicious patrons from a control room filled with banks of monitors.