What Is a Casino?
A casino is a building where people can gamble and play games of chance. These buildings are usually located in cities that are known for their nightlife and gambling, such as Las Vegas. People come to casinos to play games like poker, blackjack and roulette. Guests can also enjoy shows and fine dining in some casinos. A popular casino game is poker, and many casinos have special tables for this. Other popular casino games include baccarat, blackjack and keno. Some casinos also have Asian casino games, such as sic bo and fan-tan. Casinos earn money by taking a percentage of the bets placed by patrons. This profit is sometimes referred to as the house edge. It may be only a few percent, but it can add up quickly over millions of bets. Some casinos also take a cut of the winnings, which is called the rake. The casino industry has long been dominated by organized crime, with mob money funding the construction of many of the world's most spectacular casinos. However, as real estate investors and hotel chains gained a foothold in the business, they bought out the gangsters and began running their own casinos without mob interference. The threat of federal crackdowns and the danger of losing a casino's gaming license at even the slightest hint of Mafia involvement means that legitimate casino businesses keep the mobsters far away from their gambling cash cows. Although some people have a natural affinity for gambling, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Gambling is dangerous, and the thrill of rolling dice or pulling a lever can easily lead to addiction. For this reason, casinos spend a great deal of time and effort on security. Casinos use technology to monitor everything that happens inside their facilities. Video cameras and computers watch every table, window and door. These systems are often augmented by a high-tech eye-in-the-sky, in which computer chips inside slot machines can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons. Casinos also employ electronic monitoring of the games themselves, in which a computer constantly oversees the exact amounts wagered minute-by-minute and alerts security personnel to any statistical deviations from expected results. Most casinos offer a variety of different games to keep their customers happy. In addition to the usual table games, they often offer a wide variety of slot machines and video poker. They also have an array of other gambling activities, including sports betting and horse races. Some casinos even have an arcade. The word casino is derived from the Latin caino, meaning "baggage." During the era of organized crime, many casinos were filled with stolen goods and weapons. The term casino came to refer to any place that offered such items for sale. The term became especially popular in the United States after the passage of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's "Blue Book" listing stolen items and wanted criminals. The book was compiled by FBI agents from information submitted by local police departments.