A casino, also referred to as a gambling hall or a gaming house, is a facility for playing various games of chance for money. Most casinos offer a variety of table and card games, as well as electronic gaming machines. Some casinos include a separate area for video poker. Modern casinos are usually equipped with surveillance systems and a physical security force, and they enforce rules regarding player conduct.
Several American states amended their laws in the 1980s and 1990s to permit casinos. Most of these casinos are located in Atlantic City, but a few are on Indian reservations and thus not subject to state antigambling statutes. Casinos are also found in a number of countries in Europe and South America, including the famed Monte Carlo casino on the French Riviera, which was a gathering place for spies, dispossessed royalty, and wartime adventurers and served as inspiration for Ian Fleming’s novel, Casino Royal.
The most famous casinos are often celebrated for their glamorous ambience and luxurious amenities as well as for their gambling opportunities, although many people who visit them win back only a fraction of what they gamble. For instance, the Casino de Monte-Carlo, which is set in a glamorous Mediterranean resort town and exudes old-world elegance, attracts wealthy clientele from across the world. Other spectacular casinos are found in Macau, a city on China’s southern coast that is fast becoming the world’s largest gambling destination, and Singapore, a glamorous international financial center.