Casino is a gambling establishment, offering a wide variety of games of chance. These can include table games like blackjack and roulette, video poker, keno, baccarat, craps and others. Some casinos also feature shows and other live entertainment. The gambling part of a casino attracts customers, and successful ones make billions in profits each year for the corporations, investors, hotel chains and Native American tribes that own them.
Modern casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, restaurants and shopping centers. They can be found all over the world, from massive Las Vegas resorts to small card rooms in remote corners of bars and restaurants. Some are even incorporated into cruise ships and theme parks.
The word casino comes from the Italian word for “a place where they play.” Gambling probably existed as early as recorded history, with primitive protodice and carved knuckle bones found in ancient archaeological sites. But the concept of a dedicated facility for various forms of gambling did not emerge until the 16th century. Italian nobles gathered in private clubs called ridotti to gamble and socialize. These clubs were so popular that they largely escaped legal restrictions (though the Inquisition did raid some).
Casinos rely on mathematics to predict the odds of winning and losing for each game. To make sure that their bettors are not cheated, they use sophisticated surveillance systems and monitor each game for suspicious activity. Casino security personnel look for patterns of behavior that are inconsistent with expectations, such as a player’s reactions to the roll of the dice or the dealer’s shuffles. In addition, they analyze the house edge and variance for each game, which are mathematical probabilities that determine how much of a profit a casino can expect to make on each wager.