A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos are often combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. The Casino Estoril in Portugal, on the country’s Mediterranean coast, is Europe’s largest casino. It was once a gathering place for spies, dispossessed royalty, and wartime adventurers, and is the setting for Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 novels and films.
Gambling in a casino involves playing games of chance, either alone or with others. Most games have a mathematically determined house edge, which gives the casino an advantage over the player. The casino may also take a percentage of winnings, called a rake. Casinos may also have security measures such as cameras and guards.
Because of the large amount of money handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, in collusion or independently. Most casinos have a dedicated security force and a specialized surveillance department, which uses closed-circuit television to monitor all activity inside the casino. Some have catwalks in the ceiling above the gaming floor that allow surveillance personnel to look down, through one-way glass, on activities at the table games and slot machines.
Despite their high turnover, not all casinos are profitable. Many are losing money, and some have even gone bankrupt. This has been a major reason for state governments to legalize and regulate the industry, particularly in the United States. There are now 40 states that have some form of gambling.