A casino is a large building or room where people play games of chance for money. The modern casino is much like an indoor amusement park for adults, with musical shows, lighted fountains and elaborate themes, but gambling provides the vast majority of its entertainment (and profits for the owners). Casinos are found around the world and in most states, but they are especially popular in Nevada, New Jersey and Atlantic City and on cruise ships.
Gambling is a popular pastime in many societies, and casinos provide an opportunity to gamble for real money with the potential to win big prizes. But while casinos draw crowds for their flashy lights, lavish hotels and dazzling entertainment, they are not without their dark side. The huge amounts of cash handled by casinos can make both patrons and staff tempted to cheat and steal, either in collusion or independently; therefore casinos employ numerous security measures.
Most casinos have a physical security force that patrols the premises and a specialized security department that operates a closed-circuit television system known as an eye in the sky. These systems are used to watch every table, window and doorway, and can be adjusted to focus on specific suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of video monitors.
To keep their patrons happy, casinos usually offer free food and drinks, tickets to shows and hotel rooms, and even limo service or airline tickets to “good” players. This is called comping, and it is one way casinos reward their highest bettors.
