What is a Casino?
The Casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games to patrons. Some casinos offer several different types of gambling, while others specialize in one. Casinos make money by charging a small percentage of each bet to players, known as the vig or rake. This advantage can be as low as two percent or as high as twenty percent depending on the game. Casinos also profit from their large customer base, including high-rollers. High rollers are often given rooms that are separate from the main floor of the casino and receive special attention from the staff.
Gambling is an ancient activity, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice found in the oldest archaeological sites. But the modern casino did not emerge until the 16th century during a gambling craze in Europe. The etymology of the word casino dates back to Italy and originally denoted a villa or summerhouse or even a social club. During this time, Italian aristocrats held private parties in gambling houses called ridotti, which were sometimes located inside of palazzi or opulent mansions. These ridotti grew in popularity and became places where the wealthy of Europe could find all their favorite gambling activities under one roof. These establishments were not technically legal, but they rarely came under scrutiny by the Italian Inquisition.
In the 21st century, a casino is usually a large building with multiple gaming tables and slot machines. The walls are often covered in brightly colored patterns that are designed to stimulate and cheer patrons. The casino may also feature a number of high-tech surveillance systems, which use computer chips in the betting chips to monitor each wager minute by minute and warn security if there is a statistical deviation from the expected result. Many casinos also use cameras mounted in the ceiling and wired to a central system, which allows security people to watch the entire casino at once.
While some people gamble at the casino to make a quick buck, many are addicted to the thrill of risk-taking and the desire to become richer than they are now. This addiction to gambling causes a significant problem for the casinos, as they spend a huge amount of time and money on security. Casinos are staffed with security officers who patrol the premises, respond to calls for assistance and report suspicious or definite criminal activity. In addition, most casinos have a specialized department for electronic surveillance. These surveillance systems can be as simple as video cameras in the hallways or as complex as a high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” that watches every table, window and doorway from a control room filled with banks of security monitors. Casinos also hire a number of high-tech people to develop new technologies to help prevent cheating and other illegal activity. These include “chip tracking,” in which bets have built-in microcircuitry that allows the casino to see each bet made and warn of any unusual action; and electronic monitoring of roulette wheels, which can reveal any slight statistical deviation from their expected results.