What Is a Casino?

A casino is a building or room where gambling takes place. Its name is a contraction of the Latin casino, meaning “house of games.” Modern casinos are often integrated with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, and other entertainment venues. In the United States, casinos are primarily located in cities with large populations and are open to anyone over the age of 21. Many states have regulated casino gambling, and some have banned it altogether.

The most famous casinos in the world live up to their surface decadence with five-star hotel accommodations, Michelin-starred restaurants, and designer shops. They also feature top-billed entertainment shows, from high-flying circus acts to musicians topping the Billboard charts.

Gambling in its various forms has been part of human culture for millennia. Evidence of early dice games was found in 2300 BC China, and playing cards showed up in Rome in the 1400s. Today, casino gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry and an important source of tax revenue for some countries.

Casinos can be found in some of the most exotic places on earth, from the glitzy mega-resorts of Las Vegas to the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany. But a casino’s reputation isn’t entirely based on its gaming offerings; it also depends on how it treats its patrons. For example, casinos that cater to the biggest bettors are able to offer them extravagant inducements, such as free spectacular entertainment and reduced-fare transportation. In addition, these casinos are known for their lucrative rakes—the commission that the house charges on all bets placed at their tables.