A casino is an establishment where a variety of games of chance are played. It is often combined with hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues and is known for its luxury amenities such as stage shows and dramatic scenery. In the United States, casinos are typically licensed by state governments and are often located in areas that are primarily tourist destinations.
A modern casino is equipped with a variety of security measures to protect patrons and staff members. Security personnel are stationed throughout the casino, monitoring game play and looking out for cheating or suspicious behavior. Elaborate surveillance systems allow security workers to keep tabs on every table, window and doorway. These cameras can be manipulated by security employees in a separate room filled with banks of monitors to focus on specific patrons.
In addition to sophisticated security technology, many casinos have staff members who specialize in detecting cheating or suspicious behavior. These employees are highly trained and can quickly spot blatant cheating such as card marking, dice shimmying or other methods of deception. Table managers and pit bosses also have a keen eye for suspicious betting patterns, indicating a player is trying to manipulate the outcome of a game.
In the beginning, Nevada was the only place where casinos could be found, but as legal gambling spread across the United States, other states started to open their own gaming facilities. During the 1980s, casinos began appearing on American Indian reservations, which were exempt from state anti-gambling laws.