Like any other industry in a capitalist society, casinos are designed to make money. Successful ones rake in billions of dollars a year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that own them. The profits from gaming — the games of chance such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and poker — are a large part of those revenues. In addition, casino entertainment such as musical shows, fine dining and shopping help to draw in patrons, who are often treated with comps that include free beverages, discounted hotel rooms, meals, show tickets and even airline or limo service.
Gambling in the modern sense of the word is a relatively recent invention. Although there are records of people playing games such as dice, cards and pebbles for prizes in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and throughout Europe during the ages, it was not until the second half of the 19th century that gambling became popularized in the form of casinos.
Today, a casino is a place where people can gamble on games of chance or skill, such as craps, blackjack, video poker and horse racing. Most casinos have a number of rules that must be followed to maintain order and safety, and most have security personnel on hand. Some of these security personnel are highly visible, such as pit bosses and table managers, who oversee game play and can quickly spot any blatant cheating or other violations of the rules. Other security staff work behind the scenes to ensure that all players are treated fairly, watching their behavior for patterns that might indicate they’re taking advantage of each other or the house.
