A casino is a gambling establishment that offers card and table games. It also offers a number of other entertainment options. People who gamble at a casino must do so within certain limits and under supervision. This is done to ensure that the patrons do not exceed their limit and are not engaging in activities that could violate state law. A casino may also offer free drinks and food to its patrons.
Traditionally, casinos have been places where rich Europeans, especially royalty and aristocracy, come to play a variety of games of chance for money. The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden in Germany first established a casino 150 years ago, drawing royalty and aristocracy from across Europe. Throughout the 1980s, many American states amended their antigambling laws to allow casinos. In addition, the casinos of Las Vegas, Atlantic City and other cities attract visitors from around the world.
Modern casinos use elaborate surveillance systems, with cameras mounted in the ceiling that watch every table, change window and doorway. These are monitored by security personnel in a room full of banks of computer screens, who can adjust the camera views to focus on suspicious patrons. Casino security also watches the patterns and routines of casino games, so that it can spot any deviations from the norm.
As the casinos of Las Vegas grew in popularity in the 1950s, they attracted the attention of organized crime figures. Mafia members provided the necessary funds for casino development, took sole or partial ownership of some casinos and even tried to influence the results of specific games.