Casino is a term used to describe an establishment offering gambling. Modern casinos are often huge, lavish entertainment complexes featuring restaurants, hotel rooms, spas and a variety of gaming options. Casinos make billions of dollars in profit every year from the millions of people who visit them.
Modern casinos have dramatically increased their use of technology to monitor games and the operations of the facilities. For example, in some table games, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that allows casinos to oversee exactly how much is being wagered minute by minute and to detect any anomaly; roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly for statistical deviation from their expected results. Casinos also employ mathematicians and computer programmers to study the house edge and variance of casino games to maximize their profits. These experts are known as gaming mathematicians and gaming analysts.
Gambling in some form has been part of human culture for millennia. The first evidence comes from China in 2300 BC, with wooden blocks used as game pieces; dice appeared in Rome around 500 BC and playing cards by the 1400s. Throughout most of history, the game was illegal in many countries. But, by the 20th century, several states had legalized it and, in 1978, New Jersey became the first state to permit commercial casinos.
In the United States, there are now more than 1,000 casinos. Many are located in places that attract tourists, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, while others are in metropolitan areas not known for their gambling, such as Chicago. The number of casinos continues to increase as more states legalize the industry and interstate competition for tourists drives expansion.
The Casino has become an integral part of the leisure industry, and it is increasingly being seen as a desirable destination for both locals and foreign visitors. It offers a wide range of entertainment options, including luxury hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, designer stores and top-billed concerts and shows. It is no longer just a place to gamble, although it remains the primary activity in most.
Some casinos are so large that they have been described as being like “an indoor amusement park for adults.” The largest in America is the Foxwoods Resort and Casino, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It features 380 tables, 6,300 slot machines and a cavernous bingo hall. The resort has 38 other restaurants, two golf courses and an enclave of exclusive villas with butler service. Its casino alone occupies 350,000 square feet. There are also a contemporary art gallery, three restaurants and a flexible auditorium with panoramic views. This is one resort where the motto seems to be: Think big! The larger the facility, the more money it will make.