A casino is an establishment for gambling, where patrons place wagers on games of chance. Some casinos specialize in certain types of games, such as poker or blackjack, and most offer a range of other casino-related entertainment such as sports betting or shows. Casinos are sometimes built adjacent to or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions. The United States leads the world in the number of casinos, with over 2,147 licensed and 619 hotel casino properties, according to WorldCasinoDirectory.
The term casino may also refer to an establishment where live entertainment is provided, such as the famous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which has been a longtime home of celebrities and entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler, Mariah Carey, Elton John and Rod Stewart.
The modern casino has a large amount of security to prevent cheating and stealing by both patrons and employees. Security is usually divided into a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The latter operates the closed-circuit television system, commonly referred to as the eye in the sky, which can cover the entire floor of the casino and is connected to every slot machine and game table. Mathematicians and computer programmers that specialize in gaming analysis also work for many casinos. Because of the large amount of money handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to steal, either in collusion or independently. For this reason, most casinos have strict rules about what can and cannot be done on the premises.
