A casino, also known as a gambling house or gaming palace, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other tourist attractions. Some are known for their architecture, with several being recognizable by their famous towers or landmarks. Others are renowned for their entertainment, featuring top-notch performers or offering a variety of different shows. Some, such as the Hippodrome in London, are renowned for their historic value.
There are many things that happen inside of a casino that most people do not know. For example, a childhood friend of mine once got a job working security for a casino and after 3 months had to quit because he was so sick of the number of people who stood in front of slot machines soiling themselves because they believed they were on a winning streak. He was a bit surprised at first because he thought that this would only occur in a movie. But it turns out that there are people like this everywhere and something about gambling (probably the presence of large amounts of money) encourages them to cheat, steal or scam their way into a jackpot.
In the beginning, casinos were a playground for Europe’s royalty and aristocracy. But as real estate investors and hotel chains got a hold of them, they realized that these were cash cows and began to expand their operations, buying out mob ownership. This allowed them to operate without mob interference, although federal crackdowns on gambling and mob involvement in organized crime continue to limit the amount of legitimate business that can be conducted in these facilities.