What Is a Casino?

A casino, or gaming establishment, is a facility where patrons can wager money on various games of chance. The first modern casinos were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, and they were primarily open to people who could afford to lose money. The classic example is the Casino at Monte-Carlo, which opened in 1863 and continues to be a major source of revenue for the Principality of Monaco.

Casinos use a stimulating atmosphere to encourage gamblers to spend more money, and they often offer perks like free drinks, food, shows, hotel rooms, and other amenities to generate revenue and profit. They also monitor patrons’ gambling habits through cards that can be swiped electronically before each game, allowing casinos to tally up “points” that can be exchanged for free items or used to redeem prizes. The most loyal patrons may be offered additional perks such as reduced-fare transportation, room upgrades, and other gifts.

Because of the large amounts of cash involved in casino operations, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. To prevent this, most casinos have extensive security measures. For example, some tables have chips with embedded microcircuitry that can be tracked by the casinos’ computer systems to monitor exact bets made minute by minute, and to detect any statistical deviation from expected results; and roulette wheels are regularly monitored for anomalies. Casinos may also employ a variety of other methods to deter fraud, including surveillance cameras and random auditing.