What Is a Casino?

A casino is a building that contains gambling games. It may also be combined with other attractions such as hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and cruise ships.

The name of this article is a portmanteau of the French words for “gambling house.” Gambling houses were the only legal places where citizens could gamble in the United States until 1931, when Nevada made casino gambling legal. Then New Jersey and Atlantic City opened casinos, followed by Iowa and many other states. The first casinos were run by organized crime figures and were often hidden away from public view. They earned their reputation as being seamy and dangerous, despite the fact that they were legal.

As the popularity of casinos grew, they became more elaborate in design and décor. For example, more than 15,000 miles (24,100 km) of neon tubing is used to light the casinos along the Las Vegas Strip. Casinos also employ various sensory tricks to attract and keep patrons. For instance, the floor and wall coverings are often bright and cheery colors such as red, which is believed to make people lose track of time. And the noise level is intentionally high to drown out distractions such as conversation.

Some casinos use sophisticated technology to control game play and monitor players’ spending habits. Chips with built-in microcircuitry allow the casinos to monitor how much is wagered minute by minute, and electronic systems can detect any deviation from expected results. In addition, the casinos offer “comps,” or free goods and services, to encourage gamblers to spend more money than they originally intended to.