An establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos may be combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. Casinos can also be devoted to entertainment, with music and other forms of live performance being popular choices for venues.
Something about casinos seems to encourage cheating, stealing and scamming. Even though a substantial portion of the money handled within a casino is purely the result of chance, most casinos take measures to protect their patrons from such activities. These range from the use of security cameras to prevent robbery to a highly trained staff.
Modern casinos offer a wide variety of gaming options, with everything from traditional slot machines to poker and blackjack tables. Many of these games are played against the house, with the exceptions being those where players play against each other (such as standard poker). Each game offers a specific mathematical advantage to the casino, which is called an expected value or “house edge.”
The concept of a casino began in the 16th century during a gambling craze in Europe. Initially, it was a place where nobles could find a variety of ways to gamble under one roof. This concept reached its peak in the 19th century when Monte Carlo became internationally renowned for having a casino. In addition to its elegant poker rooms, roulette and blackjack tables, Monte Carlo also has a famous theater which has had residencies for artists like Frank Sinatra.