Casino, which translates to gaming place, is an entertainment facility with a variety of gambling activities. Although a modern casino may be like an indoor amusement park for adults with food courts, musical shows and elaborate themes, casinos are mostly places where patrons can wager money on games of chance, such as blackjack, roulette, poker and slots. These games provide the billions in annual profits that casinos rake in.
The exact origin of gambling is unknown, but the practice has existed in almost every culture throughout history. While there is no doubt that a great deal of money changes hands at casinos, some argue that the net value to a community is negative because gambling addicts tend to spend more than they win and divert economic activity from other local businesses [Source: PBS].
To make sure that patrons don’t cheat or steal, casino staff members watch games through one-way glass. Video cameras are also common in casino areas and computer systems monitor the movements of players and betting chips minute by minute, alerting security personnel to any abnormalities. Casinos have also dramatically increased their use of technology for gaming itself — for example, blackjack tables feature special chips with built-in microcircuitry to allow casinos to oversee the amount of money bet minute by minute; and roulette wheels are monitored electronically to discover any statistical deviations from expectations.
Casinos often reward their best and most loyal patrons with free room stays, meals, tickets to shows or even limo service and airline tickets. This is called comping.