A casino is a place where games of chance are played and gambling is the primary activity. A casino can have a wide variety of luxuries to attract patrons, such as restaurants, stage shows and dramatic scenery, but the bottom line is that it’s about betting and winning.
A modern casino may look like an indoor amusement park, but it would not exist without the billions in profits that games of chance such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and keno provide every year. The precise origin of gambling is not known, but it is believed to have been present in almost every civilization.
The casino business is a highly lucrative one, but it is not without its risks. Security is a top concern, and elaborate surveillance systems offer a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” that can watch the movements of every table, window, doorway and casino floor. Detailed recordings of routine actions help security personnel spot anomalies.
Mob money was once the lifeblood of casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, especially as organized crime figures saw casinos as a good place to launder money from their drug dealing and extortion activities. During this time, mafia bosses became personally involved in the operations of some casinos and took sole or partial ownership. Casinos now try to distance themselves from this seamy past, although the mob is still a significant financial force in some areas.