A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Many casinos are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are known for hosting live entertainment events, such as concerts and stand-up comedy. The term casino may also refer to an establishment where gambling is legal, such as in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In the United States, casinos are operated by state governments, private companies, or Native American tribes. Some casinos are located in cities with large populations, while others are located in rural areas.
The earliest modern casinos appeared in the latter half of the nineteenth century, with the first established at Monte Carlo in 1863. By the end of the century, they were a familiar feature in most European countries, although there were still some restrictions on gambling. In the United Kingdom, casinos were regulated by law; they had to be members’ clubs and be open to all ages.
Most casino games give the house a mathematical expectancy of winning, and it is rare for a single patron to win more than the amount they placed at the tables or on slot machines. In order to compensate for this, most casinos offer huge inducements to big bettors in the form of free spectacular entertainment, limousines, luxury living quarters, and reduced-fare transportation.
Because of the large amounts of money that pass through casinos, they are often targets for robbery and cheating. Despite this, most casinos have extensive security measures. In addition to physical security forces, many have specialized surveillance departments that operate closed circuit television systems, commonly known as “the eye in the sky”.