A casino is a place where people gamble and win money. It also has restaurants and entertainment venues. Casinos are found around the world. Some are famous, like the Bellagio in Las Vegas, which is featured in many movies and TV shows. Other casinos are located in exotic locations, like Venice, Monaco and Singapore.
Gambling is part of human culture for millennia, from pounding wooden blocks on a river in China to the modern game of blackjack and roulette. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that Nevada became the first state to legalize gambling and open casinos. Organized crime figures saw an opportunity to get in on the action, financing a number of new casino projects. They bought controlling interests in several casinos, allowing them to sway operations and set policies.
Casinos make money by charging a small percentage of every bet to cover operating costs and a profit for the owners. This is known as the house edge and it can be lower than two percent, but it adds up to billions of dollars in profits for casinos every year.
While a casino might have dazzling fountains, musical shows and lavish hotels, it would not exist without games of chance. Slot machines, baccarat, blackjack and other popular games make up the bulk of the billions raked in by casinos each year. Learn about the history of casino, which games are played at a casino and what to expect when visiting one.