A casino is an establishment for gambling. Its customers gamble by playing games of chance or skill, such as blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and video poker. Some casinos also have entertainment options, such as theaters and restaurants. Most casinos are located in cities with large populations, especially those with tourist attractions such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Some casinos are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and cruise ships. Others are located on Native American reservations, which are exempt from state anti-gambling laws.
Something about the presence of large sums of money seems to encourage cheating and stealing, both in collusion with staff members and among patrons themselves. To combat these activities, most casinos have elaborate security measures. For example, cameras are placed throughout the casino and can be adjusted to focus on specific patrons. These images can be monitored in a room filled with banks of monitors. Counting rooms are also used to monitor large amounts of money that have been won or lost. The money is then bundled and prepared for transportation by armored car to a bank for deposit.
Casinos often reward their best players with complimentary items, called comps. These can include free hotel rooms, meals, show tickets, and even limo service or airline tickets. Generally, the more a player gambles and the higher their stakes, the more they will be rewarded. This is an attempt to get the player to continue gambling and to spend more money.
