A casino, or gaming house, is a gambling establishment that offers games of chance and skill. They are found in a variety of settings, from massive resorts to small card rooms. A few states have legalized casinos, and many Native American tribes operate their own gambling establishments. Casinos generate billions of dollars each year for their owners, investors, corporations, and state and local governments. Some states have regulated gambling, while others have legalized only certain types of gambling.
Gambling has long been associated with organized crime, and for decades mobsters controlled most of the country’s casinos. The mob’s abundant cash from drug dealing and extortion enabled them to finance large-scale operations in places like Reno and Las Vegas, where casino gambling was legal. The mobsters also got involved in the day-to-day operation of the casinos, taking sole or partial ownership and exerting substantial control over decisions made by casino staff.
To lure patrons into gambling, casinos employ a wide range of tricks. Slot machines are designed to appeal to the senses of sight and sound, with bright lights and the sounds of clanging coins, whirring reels, and bells. Some casinos use more than 15,000 miles (24,100 km) of neon tubing to light their facilities. Gamblers are encouraged to shout encouragement to their opponents, and waiters circulate the room offering free drinks.
Some casino games are based on the rules of skill, while others are purely random. The most popular casino game is the slot machine, which has a mathematical expectancy of winning and does not require any skill on the part of the player. The machine dispenses a predetermined amount of money, based on a random sequence of events that occurs on either an actual physical reel or a video representation of one.
Casinos also offer a wide variety of table games, including blackjack, roulette, and craps. Some of these games are based on traditional Far Eastern games, such as sic bo and fan-tan. Other games, such as poker and baccarat, are adapted from card games played in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Despite the huge profits generated by the industry, casinos bring in very little for their communities. They divert spending away from other forms of entertainment, and the loss of productivity and health problems among compulsive gamblers offset any economic benefits they may provide. In addition, they increase the cost of healthcare for problem gamblers and drive down property values in nearby neighborhoods. Critics say that a casino’s true value is its ability to attract tourist dollars. Located near airports and other tourist attractions, they can bring in billions of dollars in revenue each year. However, some economists argue that the net benefit to a community is negative, due to the high cost of treating gambling addiction and the decreased property values caused by casino-related problems. Some states have begun to regulate the activities of casinos in order to minimize their impact on the economy. Despite the controversy, more casinos continue to open each year.