A Casino is a gambling establishment where people can gamble on games of chance. Various types of games can be found at casinos, including blackjack, poker, slot machines and craps. Casinos also offer sports betting and horse racing. Some casinos are built as entertainment complexes, with restaurants, hotels and other amenities. Others are standalone gambling halls.

While musical shows, lighted fountains and elaborate hotels help draw in the crowds, casinos would not exist without their primary money-making venture: gambling. Slots, baccarat, poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and other popular games provide the billions in profits that keep these places operating.

The concept of a place where people could find multiple forms of gambling under one roof began to develop during the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe and Italian aristocrats began holding private parties in spaces called ridotti [Source: Schwartz]. These places were technically illegal, but the rich didn’t seem to mind because they were not subject to the same laws as common citizens.

As casino business grew in the 1950s, organized crime gangsters provided much of the capital to establish Las Vegas and Reno. But mob money brought with it a reputation of illegality that many legitimate investors were reluctant to accept. Real estate developers and hotel chains with deep pockets were willing to take on the risk, however, and they soon became major players in the casino business. Today, a casino can be found in nearly every state.