A casino is a gambling establishment that offers an array of games of chance. Most casinos offer card games, dice and domino games as well as traditional slot machines. Some casinos also offer table games of chance such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker. Some casinos may also feature far Eastern games such as sic bo, fan-tan and pai gow.
Most people associate casinos with glitzy Las Vegas strip hotels, but there are many other less opulent places that house gaming activities. The term is also used to refer to smaller public halls that are open for limited periods and often include a stage show.
Some casinos employ elaborate security systems to keep their patrons safe. A high-tech “eye in the sky” system uses cameras that can watch every table, window and doorway at once. The cameras can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of security monitors. In addition, most casinos are built around noisy and colorful interiors designed to stimulate the senses, with a strong emphasis on sound and light.
The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden was once a playground for European royalty and the aristocracy, but today its visitors are more likely to be wealthy tourists from Asia. Economic studies suggest that the net impact of a casino on a local economy is negative, with a loss in other spending and lost productivity from addicted gamblers countering any profits the casino generates.