A casino (or casino resort) is a place where gambling is the main attraction. Casinos are huge resorts that offer a wide variety of games of chance, along with restaurants, non-gambling game rooms, hotels, and other amenities. They are often located in tourist destinations, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Casinos make billions of dollars each year for the corporations, investors, and Native American tribes that own and operate them. In addition, they generate tax revenue for local governments. However, the casinos are also responsible for a rising number of gambling addicts and can damage property values in their surrounding communities.
Gambling almost certainly predates recorded history, with primitive protodice used to settle disputes and to determine the outcome of events such as wars and hunting expeditions. Modern casino gambling evolved into its modern form in the United States, with the first legal casino opening in Nevada in 1931. Although casino gaming is most common in Nevada, New Jersey and Atlantic City have become major centers as well.
Casinos use a range of security measures to protect their patrons from cheating and theft. They may hire security guards to watch tables and other game areas, or have catwalks in the ceiling that allow surveillance workers to look down on patrons through one-way glass. Many casinos use video cameras to monitor their gaming floors, with security workers in a separate room watching the feeds and using sophisticated software to spot unusual behavior.