What Is a Casino?
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. There are a wide variety of games played in casinos, from traditional table games like blackjack and poker to electronic gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker. The casino industry is regulated by government authorities.
A number of states have passed laws permitting casinos, and they are common in cities with high populations of tourists such as Las Vegas. Many American Indian reservations also have casinos. Some casinos are built on land leased from the federal government, while others are located aboard riverboats that travel from state to state.
Casinos are designed to entice people to gamble by offering them free drinks and stage shows. Some offer free meals as well. Regardless of the luxuries, however, they must make a profit by taking a percentage of all bets placed, which is called the house edge. This advantage can be small, but it adds up over time and makes the casino a profitable enterprise.
The name “casino” is derived from the Italian word for little house, and in its early years it was indeed a tiny abode. Over the centuries, however, the concept has grown in scope, and today’s casino is a massive entertainment complex featuring games of chance, restaurants, bars, and even theaters.
While most Americans think of a casino as one of the megaresorts in Las Vegas, the term is actually much more widespread. There are thousands of casino establishments around the world, from a modest building with a few tables and slot machines to large facilities with multiple dining rooms, nightclubs, and other amenities. Some casinos are even open to the general public, while others are private clubs accessible only to members.
In addition to offering free drinks and stage shows, casinos use a variety of other marketing strategies to lure players. For example, the 15,000 miles of neon tubing that adorns the buildings on the Las Vegas Strip is designed to appeal to humans’ sense of sight.
Casinos also employ a wide array of technological systems to monitor and control the games. For example, roulette wheels are monitored electronically to ensure they meet a minimum standard of accuracy; chip tracking enables casino staff to monitor bets minute by minute and detect any deviation from expected behavior; and the payout system in games such as poker can vary according to player skill or how fast they play. These systems help the casino stay competitive and reassure players that their money is safe. They also encourage players to return frequently and spend more, in order to earn comps such as free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows, and airline seats. This allows the casino to offset the cost of running the facilities and attract new patrons. These examples are selected automatically from various online sources, and may not reflect the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.