A casino (or gambling house) is an establishment that offers various forms of gambling. Some casinos specialize in one or more particular games, while others offer a wide variety of different types of gaming. A casino may also contain dining facilities and/or retail shops. In some countries, casinos are required to be licensed. Some casinos are owned and operated by government agencies, while others are run by private companies.
Something about gambling (perhaps the presence of large sums of money) seems to encourage people to cheat and steal, either in collusion or independently; thus, casinos spend a great deal on security. The earliest casinos employed simple measures such as guards and cages to prevent theft, but modern casinos rely on video cameras and computer systems. For example, in “chip tracking,” betting chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems in the tables to enable casinos to oversee the exact amounts wagered minute by minute and quickly discover any statistical deviations; roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to detect any unusual results.
While the history of gambling houses goes back a long way, the casino as we know it today began to develop during the 16th century during a time when Europeans had a love affair with gambling. The name casino is probably derived from the Italian word for a small clubhouse used by nobles for social gatherings (Ridotto). Many of Europe’s largest casinos are found in France, and several American states changed their antigambling laws during this period to permit the building of casinos.