A casino is a gambling establishment where a wide variety of games of chance are played. It is often a place where food and beverages are consumed, and stage shows may be presented. It is very common for a casino to offer comps to its players, which can include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows or even airline tickets. This type of incentive is intended to keep players gambling as much as possible.
A large portion of the casino business in Las Vegas is controlled by organized crime figures, who use their ill-gotten gains to fund new casinos and maintain existing ones. While legitimate businessmen were initially reluctant to invest in a venture with such a seamy reputation, mob money soon flowed into Reno and Las Vegas. In the 1980s, many American states legalized casino gambling, including on American Indian reservations and in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In addition to a physical security force, the modern casino usually has a specialized surveillance department that oversees its closed circuit television system, known as the “eye in the sky.” The cameras are set up to watch every table, doorway and window. Security staff can monitor the footage and quickly detect suspicious activity. Similarly, roulette wheels are regularly monitored electronically to discover any statistical deviations from their expected results. In some casinos, a special computer chip in each betting chip is linked to the surveillance system, so that all bets are tracked minute by minute and any cheating or illegal activity is immediately detectable.