A Casino is a building that offers various types of gambling. The modern casino is like an indoor amusement park for adults, and the majority of its entertainment (and profits for the owner) comes from games of chance. Slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps and keno generate the billions in profit that casinos bring in each year. While lighted fountains, shopping centers, musical shows and lavish hotels help draw in visitors, casinos would not exist without games of chance.

Despite the fact that gambling in some form probably predates recorded history, the modern casino as we know it developed in the 16th century. This is when a gambling craze swept Europe, and Italian aristocrats hosted private parties at places called ridotti.

In order to attract and keep patrons, casinos employ a number of tricks. The layout of the gambling floor is a maze-like arrangement, and light and noise are used to create a sense of excitement. More than 15,000 miles of neon tubing illuminate the gambling floors in Las Vegas, and windows and clocks are rarely found in casinos (it would be a fire hazard). The absence of clocks also prevents patrons from realizing how long they have spent on the casino floor.

Something about gambling seems to encourage people to cheat, steal and scam their way into a jackpot, and casinos spend a large amount of time, effort and money on security. In addition, studies show that casino gambling does not boost local economic development. Instead, it shifts spending away from other forms of entertainment and reduces productivity in the local economy.