A Casino is a special facility where gambling entertainment is provided and there is a chance to win real money. These establishments are found worldwide and are usually regulated by the state or the government. They can also offer a variety of drinks and meals to their clients.
Modern casinos are a lot like indoor amusement parks for adults, with the vast majority of their entertainment (and profits for their owners) coming from gambling. Slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps and keno provide the billions of dollars in profit that casinos rake in every year.
Casinos have many security measures in place to deter cheating and stealing, both from patrons and the staff. These include video cameras in the ceiling that can be aimed at specific tables or windows, and a separate room filled with banks of surveillance monitors. Some casinos also have catwalks that allow security personnel to look directly down on the table and slot floor through one-way mirrors. In addition to these technological measures, casino employees are trained to watch for suspicious behavior.
The mob once controlled many casinos in Nevada and elsewhere, but federal crackdowns and the threat of losing a gaming license at even the slightest hint of Mafia involvement forced them out. Eventually, real estate investors and hotel chains got in the business. These companies had more money than the gangsters, and their clout allowed them to purchase casinos outright and run them without the interference of organized crime.