A casino is a gambling establishment that draws in patrons with promises of entertainment and profits for the owner. While musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and lavish hotels are part of the appeal, casinos would not exist without games of chance that provide the billions of dollars in profits raked in by American casino owners every year. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat are among the popular casino games.

Casinos can be found all over the world, and each one offers something a little bit different. The Bellagio in Las Vegas is perhaps the most famous of all, but the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden in Germany and the Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco are also high on the list. Many of these casinos feature in countless movies and TV shows, so they’re more than just places to play – they’re must-see attractions.

In addition to the obvious security cameras, casinos have a range of other tools for keeping their patrons safe. For example, in table games, betting chips with built-in microcircuitry allow casinos to oversee the precise amounts wagered minute by minute and quickly discover any statistical deviation from expected results. Roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly for similar purposes.

The virtual assurance of gross profit allows casinos to offer big bettors extravagant inducements such as free spectacular entertainment, luxury transportation and accommodation and even reduced-fare food and drinks while they gamble. Casinos have a dark side, too: something about gambling (perhaps the fact that people are handling large sums of money) seems to encourage them to cheat and steal.