A casino is a place where people can gamble and play games of chance. It may be a large building, or it may be part of a resort, a hotel, a cruise ship or a vacation home. People go to casinos to gamble, but they also go for entertainment and social activities. Your grandmother might enjoy taking weekend bus trips to the nearest casino with her friends.
Most modern casinos are built around gambling, with a central area where tables and slot machines are located. Some are very large, with lighted fountains and elaborate themes. Others are smaller, with less elaborate surroundings.
Many communities welcome a local casino because it brings jobs and economic growth. Studies have shown that counties with casinos have higher employment rates in restaurants, retail stores and tourist attractions than those without them. This increased economic activity is a result of the increase in spending by people who visit casinos.
Because a casino deals with large amounts of money, it must employ a variety of security measures to protect its patrons and property. These are usually a combination of a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department that uses closed circuit television to monitor the casino’s activity.
Because of the large amount of money that is handled within a casino, it can be a target for both criminals and terrorists. To counter this, a casino’s security forces are trained to detect and stop both criminal activity and suspicious or unauthorized behavior.