A Casino is a gambling establishment that offers a wide range of games of chance and in some cases skill. These include traditional table games like blackjack and roulette as well as video poker, keno and far more. Many casinos also offer entertainment in the form of shows and floor shows, free drinks and all-you-can-eat buffets. Some even offer luxury accommodations and private gambling rooms for the very wealthy.
The casino industry is one of the largest in the world. According to the Washington, DC-based American Gaming Association, about 51 million people visited a casino in the United States in 2002. Many more gamble outside the country.
While the average person may think of Las Vegas when they hear the word casino, it isn’t actually home to America’s biggest. That distinction belongs to Ledyard, Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. The massive complex is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribe.
As with any business involving large amounts of money, casino owners face the risk of crime. Both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or independently. To combat this, most modern casinos employ a combination of physical security forces and specialized surveillance departments.
Monaco is often considered a millionaires’ playground, and this is reflected in the way it caters to its high rollers. One such example is the Hotel Lisboa, a dazzling skyscraper that was recently named the world’s tallest building. Designed to look and feel like a birdcage, it houses an enormous casino with more than a thousand slot machines and 800 tables, plus three dozen exclusive high-end retail stores and restaurants.