A casino (from the Latin for “house”) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Some casinos are built as standalone buildings, while others are integrated into hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Casinos may also offer non-gambling entertainment such as concerts and shows.
The word casino has many origins and meanings, depending on the region and culture. In modern usage, the term is usually restricted to casinos in cities or large towns. These establishments are typically designed to be attractive, with flashy decor and a mindblowing array of games. They can even feature hotels, restaurants, non-gambling game rooms, bars, swimming pools, spas, and other amenities that attract people from all over the world.
Modern casinos are generally staffed with a combination of physical security forces and a specialized surveillance department. Security personnel patrol the floor and monitor video feeds from a closed circuit television system known as an “eye-in-the-sky.” These cameras can be adjusted to focus on specific patrons or areas of interest, and security workers can watch the action from a separate room filled with banks of secure monitors.
Because every game offered in a casino has an expected house edge, it’s impossible for patrons to win more money than the casino can afford to pay out. To compensate for this virtual assurance of gross profit, casinos often give big bettors extravagant inducements like free spectacular entertainment, hotel rooms, limo service, and airline tickets.