A casino is a place where people can gamble. While casinos also feature entertainment such as musical shows and lighted fountains, the vast majority of the money they bring in is from gambling. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and other games of chance are what draw the crowds and provide the billions in profits raked in by casinos every year. This article takes a look at how casinos make their money, what kind of gambling they offer, and some of the dark side of the industry.
Gambling has long been part of the human experience. Some form of it can be found in nearly every culture throughout history. The precise origin is unknown, but it is widely accepted that gambling in some form has been around for thousands of years. In modern times, it has become a widespread activity in the world and a major source of revenue for many countries.
Casinos have long been a favorite gambling destination for visitors and locals alike. The Las Vegas strip has the most famous, but there are casinos all over the world that are just as beautiful and fun to visit. Some have a more elegant feel, like the Hippodrome in London that opened in 1900 to cater to European royalty and aristocracy. Others are more extravagant, like the Sun City Resort in Rustenburg, South Africa that was built over a decade ago to attract wealthy Africans and Asians. In addition to their physical appearance, casinos rely on technology to ensure security. For example, cameras watch the action at tables to catch cheating; betting chips have microcircuitry that enables them to be monitored minute by minute and alerted to any statistical deviation from expectations; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any irregularities.