A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a wide variety of games of chance to its patrons. It also features food and drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery.
Gambling is a fun and exciting way to spend money. But it can also be dangerous, and for this reason casinos are equipped with state-of-the-art security measures to ensure the safety of all its guests. Some of these include surveillance cameras throughout the property, and security personnel on catwalks over the casino floor who can look directly down on gamblers through one-way glass.
Something about the sheer size of the amounts of money handled in a casino seems to encourage both patrons and staff to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. This is why casinos spend a huge amount of time, energy and money on security.
Casinos earn their money by charging a small advantage over the odds of winning each game. This edge can be as low as two percent, but it adds up over the millions of bets placed by gamblers. Casinos use this money to build elaborate hotels, fountains, towers and replicas of famous landmarks.
At the start of the twentieth century, Nevada was the only state that allowed legal gambling. But as the popularity of Vegas-style casinos grew, other states realized that they could attract gambling tourists too, and soon Native American and Atlantic City-style casinos began popping up across the country. Today, some 100 million Americans visit casinos every year.