A casino, or gaming house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. In some countries, casinos are licensed by governments to operate. Other casinos are privately owned. In either case, they all have to meet strict minimum standards for size, structure, and operation.
Most casinos accept bets only within an established limit, so that patrons cannot win more than the house can afford to pay. As a result, most casinos are almost always profitable and, in fact, it is quite rare for a casino to lose money on a given day. This virtual assurance of gross profit enables casinos to offer extravagant inducements to big bettors in the form of free spectacular entertainment, transportation, elegant living quarters, and other amenities.
Casinos may also have security measures in place to prevent cheating or tampering with games or equipment. These usually include cameras to monitor game play, special “chip tracking” systems that allow the casino to oversee the exact amounts being wagered minute by minute, and electronic surveillance of roulette wheels to discover any statistical deviation from normal operation. Some casinos have catwalks on which security personnel can look down through one-way glass at the table and slot machines.
New York City is home to a number of land-based casinos and many tribal casinos that are a short drive from the Big Apple. While gambling was once banned in the State, voters have since amended the law and NYC now has several Las Vegas-style casinos to choose from.