A Casino is a gambling establishment. These casinos are designed to entice people to gamble with money they don’t have by putting them in luxurious surroundings and offering them high-end amenities. Some of these casinos have spectacular architecture, while others have lavish entertainment and high-end restaurants.
While gambling has occurred throughout history in many forms, the casino as a place to gamble with a variety of games under one roof did not develop until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe and Italian nobles created private clubs known as ridotti [Source: Poley]. These casinos were staffed by professional dealers who kept track of players’ chips. They also provided food and drink. Although the casinos were illegal, they were rarely bothered by law enforcement.
Modern casinos employ sophisticated surveillance systems to monitor patrons and prevent cheating and theft. Cameras are mounted in the ceiling and on walls around the floor, and can be adjusted by security staff from a separate room filled with banks of monitors. The system gives the casino an “eye-in-the-sky” that allows them to see what is going on at any table or window, and can spot suspicious activity. Security personnel can even watch the play of individual slot machines.
In addition to cameras, casinos use bright colors and gaudy designs to stimulate the senses and make their guests forget that they’re spending time and money that they could be using to meet financial obligations or to save for future investments. Some studies indicate that a casino’s effect on a community is negative, because it draws away dollars from other local entertainment and increases the cost of treating problem gambling.