A casino is a place where people can gamble and play games of chance. It may have other luxuries to draw in patrons, such as restaurants, free drinks, stage shows, and dramatic scenery, but it is primarily a gambling establishment. There have been less lavish places that housed gaming activities that were called casinos, but these would not be considered true casinos by today’s standards.
In the early days of Las Vegas and Reno, casinos were funded by organized crime mobs. These mobsters had lots of cash from drug dealing, extortion, and other illegal rackets. They also had no problem with gambling’s seamy image. They put up the money, took sole or part ownership of casinos, and even influenced the results of certain games. Federal crackdowns on organized crime and the threat of losing a gaming license at the slightest hint of mob involvement eventually drove these moneymen out of Nevada’s gambling businesses.
Many communities with casinos experience an increase in employment. This is because the casinos require skilled labor, such as accounting, dealing cards, or security. When a casino is established in an area that has a low level of skilled workers, these new jobs will lower the unemployment rate in that area. However, the original population in that area remains largely unaffected because it can still find work elsewhere. This is the reason why it is important to understand that the decrease in unemployment does not necessarily mean that casinos are good for a community.