What is a Casino?
A casino is a gambling establishment where people can place bets on games of chance. Games are played on tables and involve cards, dice, or wheels. Casinos also offer other entertainment, like shows and restaurants. Some casinos even have luxury accommodations.
Gambling in some form has been around for millennia, with archaeological evidence beginning to appear in 2300 BC China. But it wasn’t until the 1400s that the first modern-day casino game, baccarat, came about. It was soon followed by what would become blackjack in the 1600s.
By the 1950s, mobster money was flowing into Nevada’s casinos. But the Mafia had other uses for their cash: racketeering, drug trafficking and extortion. The gangsters got personally involved in the businesses, taking sole or partial ownership and often influencing the outcomes of games. Legitimate businessmen, however, had much deeper pockets and were able to purchase out the mafia’s interest. Today, the majority of casinos are owned by real estate investors and hotel chains, with Donald Trump and the Hilton hotel company having a stake in many of them. Federal crackdowns and the risk of losing a gaming license at even the slightest hint of Mafia involvement mean that organized crime has less control over casino profits.
For some people, the idea of visiting a casino is high on their bucket list. Some have an actual casino on their wish list, others want to experience the thrill and fun of one, and still more simply dream about it. Pair exotic destinations like Venice, Monaco and Singapore with a casino, and the experience promises to be unforgettable.
A casino is a gambling establishment where people can place bets on games of chance. Games are played on tables and involve cards, dice, or wheels. Casinos also offer other entertainment, like shows and restaurants. Some casinos even have luxury accommodations. Gambling in some form has been around for millennia, with archaeological evidence beginning to…