A casino is a place or building where people can gamble on games of chance. Modern casinos use a variety of technology to keep track of and audit bets. Some have dedicated surveillance departments that monitor all activity in the casino. Others rely on cameras in and around the casino floor, along with rules and regulations. Many casinos are located in resorts, hotels and cruise ships.
There are a wide variety of casino games, from traditional table games like blackjack and poker to keno, roulette and craps. The majority of casino games are conducted by employees known as croupiers or dealers. Guests can also bet on sports events, and a few casinos have racetracks for horse racing.
In the United States, the largest concentration of casinos is in Las Vegas, followed by Atlantic City and Chicago. Other gaming facilities are found on American Indian reservations and on cruise ships. A growing number of state legislatures and local jurisdictions have legalized casino gambling.
Casinos are regulated in the United States by government agencies responsible for creating rules and regulations based on the state’s gambling laws. The casino industry has a reputation for high crime rates, but recent technological advances have improved security. Modern casinos usually have a dedicated physical security force and a specialized surveillance department that works closely together to monitor all activity. The physical security forces patrol the premises and respond to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activities. The specialized surveillance departments operate the casino’s closed circuit television system (CCTV), which is referred to as the “eye in the sky”.
