A casino is an establishment where people can gamble and play games of chance. Casinos often offer a variety of entertainment options, including restaurants, non-gambling games, hotels and spas. They may also feature entertainment venues, such as theaters and concerts. Some casinos are also known for hosting poker tournaments.
In modern usage, the term casino is used primarily to refer to a gambling facility. In the United States, it usually means a large building that contains a number of gambling tables and machines. Some casinos specialize in particular types of games, such as blackjack or roulette; others have a wider range of options, such as video poker and craps.
Although glitzy decor and big-name entertainers draw crowds, most casinos make their money from games of chance. Slot machines, poker, baccarat, and table games like blackjack, craps, and keno generate the billions in profits that casinos bring in every year. Some casinos even give free hotel rooms, meals, show tickets, and limo service to “good” players.
In the 1950s, when casinos first began to pop up around Nevada, they were often financed by mafia-controlled crime rings. The mobsters’ money brought legitimacy to an industry that had been tainted by its links to illegal activities, such as drug dealing and extortion. The mobsters took sole or partial ownership of some casinos and controlled many aspects of their operations, even influencing the outcome of some games. As the industry grew, legitimate businessmen started to invest in casinos. Today, they are a staple of the resorts and hotels that line the Las Vegas Strip.