A Casino is a public place where people can gamble and play games of chance. While casinos are often portrayed in film and literature with images of high stakes gambling tables and a select group of players dressed in tuxedos or evening gowns, the modern casino is a large, complex facility that offers a wide variety of gaming activities. The casino business is driven by profits from games such as poker, blackjack, slot machines, roulette, craps and keno. Other casino revenues come from the food and beverage service, hotel rooms and live entertainment. Casinos can be found around the world, and are a popular destination for people who enjoy gambling.
Most casinos offer a number of perks to encourage patrons to spend more time and money inside the facility. Free food and drinks help keep the gamblers happy, and can also get them intoxicated, which reduces their ability to rationally evaluate their decisions and may lead to bad ones. In addition, casinos use chips instead of real money to make it harder for gamblers to track their losses. Finally, sophisticated security systems include cameras that are mounted in the ceiling of the casino and allow surveillance workers to watch patrons through one-way mirrors.
The casino concept likely evolved in the 16th century as a way to organize gambling activities. Although gambling probably predates recorded history (primitive protodice made from cut knuckle bones or carved six-sided dice have been found in archaeological digs), it was the popularity of gambling that gave rise to the casino as a gathering place for all forms of betting.