A casino, or gambling establishment, offers visitors the opportunity to wager money on games of chance. These games include slot machines and table games such as poker, blackjack, and roulette. The casino industry is regulated by laws and regulations enforced by state and local governments. A casino may also offer entertainment shows and dining options. Guests must be of legal age to enter most casinos. Guests exchange their money for chips or credits that can be used to play the games.
The world’s largest casinos are palatial facilities that pamper their visitors with luxury accommodations, fine dining, and top-billed entertainment. These behemoths of gaming boast more floor space than the entire city of Las Vegas. Located in cities such as Macau, Singapore, and Venice, they are a feast for the eyes.
Gambling in its various forms has been a part of human society for millennia. Evidence of early gambling can be traced back to 2300 BC China, when archeologists found wooden blocks used in games of chance. Dice appeared in Rome around 500 AD and the game that would become baccarat rose to prominence in the 1400s.
Casinos use technology to ensure the fairness of their games. In a practice called chip tracking, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that allows the casino to oversee the exact amounts wagered minute by minute. Roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviation from their expected results. Casinos also employ mathematicians whose jobs are to analyze the house edge and variance for individual games.