A casino is a place where people gamble on games of chance. The most famous casino in the world is in Las Vegas, but there are many others. Some are very large, with dozens of tables and thousands of slot machines. Others are much smaller, but still offer a variety of games. Some casinos are located in picturesque settings, like Monte Carlo or Macau, while others are in more urban centers. Some are even combined with hotels, restaurants, shopping, cruise ships, and other attractions.
Casinos are legal in most countries. In the United States, they are typically operated by a private corporation and are subject to state gambling laws. Some casinos are also owned by private individuals, such as celebrities and politicians. Casinos often compete with each other to attract gamblers, and they may advertise their games in newspapers and on television.
Most casinos are heavily guarded. They employ a combination of physical security forces and specialized surveillance departments to patrol the casino floor and respond to reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. Modern casinos also use technology to supervise the games themselves. For example, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that interacts with electronic systems in the table to monitor the amounts wagered minute by minute and detect any statistical deviations. In addition, some roulette wheels are now completely automated and run on a computer program, which can discover any anomalies immediately. These examples have been automatically selected from various online sources, and may not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
