Casino is a gambling establishment that offers various games of chance. Slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps and keno are the most popular games that earn casinos billions of dollars in profits each year. Casinos also host entertainment events and are staffed with security officers to deter fraud. Because large amounts of cash are handled within the premises, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, so casinos employ many security measures. The most basic measure is to have security cameras placed throughout the facility.
Casinos also use technology to help oversee the games themselves. For example, betting chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems on the table to allow casinos to monitor exactly how much is wagered minute by minute and warn them immediately of any statistical deviations; roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover quickly if they are off by a significant amount from their expected results. Casinos frequently offer free hotel rooms, tickets to shows and even limo service to big spenders to encourage them to continue spending their money there.
Although gambling probably predates recorded history, modern casinos did not appear until the 16th century as a result of a gambling craze that swept Europe. These facilities were originally small clubhouses for Italian aristocrats who met to gamble and socialize, called ridotti. Mafia involvement in these venues was common, but federal crackdowns and the rise of real estate investors with deep pockets drove mobsters from the gaming industry, which eventually became dominated by corporate owners.