A casino, also called a gaming house or a gambling house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Gambling in casinos is regulated by law in some jurisdictions. Some casinos offer only table games such as blackjack and roulette; others include video poker, electronic slot machines, and more. Many casinos also feature live entertainment such as concerts and comedy shows.
The name casino derives from the Latin word for “house” or “gambling place.” Gambling is widely believed to have existed in some form throughout history, beginning in ancient Mesopotamia and continuing through Napoleon’s France and Elizabethan England. Modern casinos are often built in or near to hotels, resorts, or other vacation destinations and offer a variety of gaming options such as slot machines, table games, and card games.
When survey respondents who participated in a Gemini Research study on Nevada gamblers were asked which casino game they most preferred, the vast majority chose slot machines. Table games (including blackjack, craps, and roulette) came in second, while poker, keno, bingo, and sports/racing gambling each had only about 5% of the total preference.
While casinos earn some money from food, beverage, and entertainment services, their breadwinner is the games themselves. Each game has a particular house advantage which, over time, ensures that the casino will win a substantial amount of money from its patrons. Casinos often employ mathematicians who specialize in this field to help them determine the house edge and variance for each of their games.
