A Casino is a place where people play games of chance for money. It can be a fun and exciting experience, but there is one thing that everyone needs to know before playing at any casino: the house always wins. The house edge is built into all casino games and is an essential part of the financial model that allows casinos to make billions of dollars in profits each year.
While gambling in some form almost certainly predates recorded history, the modern casino as a place for players to find a variety of ways to gamble under one roof did not emerge until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe and Italian aristocrats would gather at places called ridotti to enjoy their private casino parties [Source: Schwartz]. In addition to security cameras and personnel that patrol the casino floor, casinos use other technology to keep players safe, including a closed circuit television system known as an eye-in-the-sky that is adjusted by workers in a room filled with banks of security monitors.
Despite these measures, some casino patrons are still tempted to cheat and steal, either in collusion with the staff or independently. Something about the large amounts of money involved encourages some people to try and manipulate the results of a game, which is why most casinos employ a variety of anti-cheating techniques. One such measure is the use of chips instead of cash to prevent tampering, and to help the casino keep track of money coming in and out.