A large building or room equipped for gambling and entertainment, especially one that is a regular meeting place for gamblers. Casino can also refer to the specialized machines used to play certain card games and other table-based games.
Like any industry in a capitalist society, casinos are in business to make money. Successful ones rake in billions of dollars each year for the corporations, investors, and Native American tribes that own and operate them. They also swell the coffers of state and local governments that collect taxes and other fees from them.
Gambling is big business worldwide, and casinos are found in almost every country where it is legal to do so. In the United States, for example, there are more than a dozen major gaming destinations, including Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and many other cities.
While many of these establishments offer the same basic set of gambling games, they vary in terms of size, layout, and atmosphere. Some are designed to look and feel like the grand palaces of Europe, while others are modern and glitzy. Aside from their dazzling exteriors, most casinos employ sophisticated techniques to lure and keep patrons playing their games. Computers are routinely used to monitor gambling activity, and in some cases, the actual chips have built-in microcircuitry that allows them to be monitored minute by minute, and alerted immediately to any statistical deviations from expected results. The resulting data is often analyzed and used to determine what kinds of incentives to offer patrons.