A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games of chance and some skill. Typically, it is located in a tourist area and caters to gamblers from around the world. Casinos feature a wide range of gambling activities including poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and slot machines. Some casinos also offer hotel rooms, restaurants, non-gambling game areas and other facilities such as pools and spas. They may also include entertainment venues such as theaters and night clubs.
While gambling in some form certainly predates recorded history, the casino as we know it did not emerge until the 16th century. This was when a gambling craze swept Europe, and Italian aristocrats would hold private parties at places called ridotti (literally “houses”). The Ridotto in Venice is widely considered to be the first government-sanctioned casino.
In modern casinos, the house advantage is usually much smaller than in the past. It is a result of improved technology and an increasing number of players who know how to beat the odds. Regardless, every casino game has a built in statistical advantage for the house, and that advantage is enough to make casinos profitable over time.
As a result, most casinos have several layers of security. The first line of defense is the casino floor itself, where employees keep a close eye on the players and their actions. Security staff are also often stationed near the entrances to watch for suspicious individuals.