A casino, also known as a gaming house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It may be a standalone building or part of a hotel/resort, an amusement park, or a cruise ship. Casinos are also often found on American Indian reservations, which are exempt from state anti-gambling laws. Besides gambling, casinos are known for hosting live entertainment such as concerts and shows.
Although many people see casinos as fun places to spend a night out, most don’t realize how every aspect of the glitzy setting is designed to make them gamble more and keep coming back, even though the house always wins in the end. From the dazzling lights to the joyful sound of slot machines, the whole experience is engineered to create a manufactured sense of bliss that keeps people addicted, no matter how much they lose.
In modern times, casinos are usually protected by a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The former patrols the premises, responds to calls for assistance and reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity, while the latter runs the closed circuit television system (CCTV) that acts as the “eye in the sky.” Occasionally, security personnel will also be present at table games, especially when dealing with high-stakes games like poker and black jack. These employees are usually trained to deal with these situations in a controlled and professional manner. They will never resort to violence, but will instead use tactics such as body language and voice inflections to defuse tense situations.