A Casino is a gambling establishment offering a wide range of games of chance and skill, such as blackjack, roulette, craps, video poker and poker. Many casinos also feature fine dining and entertainment options. While gambling certainly predates recorded history – primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice have been found at ancient archaeological sites – the casino as we know it did not develop until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe. Italian aristocrats would hold private parties in rooms called ridotti, where they gambled for fun and often won significant sums of money.
Casinos make money by giving the house a built in advantage, or expected value, on every bet placed by patrons. This advantage is usually lower Sbobet88 than two percent and is a key source of profits for casinos, which often use it to finance such extravagant features as fountains, pyramids, towers and replicas of famous landmarks. In addition to the house edge, casinos collect a fee from players known as a vig or rake. Some casinos give complimentary items or comps to regular players, based on how much they spend and the stakes at which they play.
Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, employees and patrons may be tempted to cheat or steal. To help deter this, the most sophisticated casinos employ people to analyze the games and monitor patron behavior. These people are called gaming mathematicians and gaming analysts. Casinos also have security personnel on the floor to watch over the games and patrons.