A casino is a facility where people can gamble by playing games of chance, or in some cases with an element of skill. Casinos are most often found in resorts or tourist destinations and some are operated by government-licensed gambling commissions. Casinos are sometimes referred to as gaming centers, gaming houses or gambling halls. The word casino is derived from Italian, and its use in Europe began with the establishment of small private clubs for social occasions. [1]
A modern casino may consist of one or more floors that house many tables, slot machines and other gambling devices. Its staff is trained to monitor the activity and security and to enforce gambling laws. Casinos employ gaming mathematicians to design and analyze the games, and they hire casino managers and accountants to handle money and accounting. A casino may also operate a tournament that pits players against each other in a competition over a fixed period of time.
Some casinos specialize in particular types of gambling, such as poker or roulette. In addition, some are designed to be more luxurious than others. For example, the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden was originally a playground for European royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago; it is today a popular destination for casino gamblers. In America, casinos first appeared in Atlantic City in 1978, and they later spread throughout the country and on American Indian reservations that were not subject to state antigambling statutes.