A casino is a gambling establishment that allows patrons to gamble and play games of chance. Some casinos are more than just tables and slot machines, though: they’re temples of temptation decked out with opulent furnishings and overflowing bars. Whether you’re ready to take your chances at the roulette wheel or test your skills at blackjack, these ten decadent places will have you placing chips on the table and hoping for luck.
Gambling is a big industry, with the highest concentration of casino resorts found in Las Vegas. Other major casino centers include Atlantic City and New Jersey. In addition to these well-known cities, many states have large numbers of smaller local and regional casinos.
There’s a lot of money in the casino business, and that means plenty of opportunities for cheating and theft, either in collusion with other patrons or on a solo basis. Fortunately, most casinos employ strict security measures to counter these risks. Security cameras, which can be focused on individual tables and even the windows and doorways of each room, are one example. Other technology includes microcircuitry in betting chips that interacts with electronic systems to track exact amounts wagered minute by minute and detect statistical deviations from expected results; and fully automated roulette and dice games that don’t require dealers.
Other concerns with casino gambling include the negative impact on local economies. Studies have shown that the revenue from casinos can actually reduce spending in other forms of local entertainment and hurt property values in the area. To address this problem, most state laws include a requirement that casinos display information about responsible gambling and provide contact details for organizations that can help compulsive gamblers.