A casino is a place where people can gamble. The first casinos were public halls for music and dancing, but in the second half of the 19th century they became places where gambling was permitted. The most famous is the one at Monte Carlo in Monaco, but there are also casinos in many other cities, including Estoril, Portugal; Corfu, Greece; and Baden-Baden and Bad Homburg von der Höhe, Germany. In the United States casinos were long only found in Las Vegas, but from the 1980s onwards more and more locations have become known as casinos. These casinos are usually regulated by state law and offer games of chance. In the case of poker, for example, the house earns money via a commission on the players’ wagers.
In addition to slot machines and table games, most casino resorts feature sports betting and horse racing and can be a great place for families. Many casinos also offer a variety of restaurants, bars and night clubs that are open to all ages.
Most casinos have high security to prevent cheating and other crimes, with cameras watching patrons and employees for suspicious behavior. Some have catwalks that allow surveillance personnel to look down through one-way glass at table and slot machine activities. The newest casinos are designed with advanced technology to make them safer and more fun, for example, chip tracking allows players to see their wagers minute-by-minute and to be warned quickly of any deviation from expected results; roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any anomaly.