A casino, or gaming house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Some casinos also offer live entertainment, such as shows and concerts. Most of the casinos on this list are located in Las Vegas, although there are several in Europe and Canada as well. The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden was once a favorite playground for European royalty and aristocracy; today, its casino is among the best in the world, known for its baroque flourishes and poker rooms that are the center of attention for high-stakes gamblers and celebrities alike.
Casinos are built to attract patrons and keep them playing by offering extravagant inducements and rewards, and a virtual assurance of gross profit. While the vast majority of casino games give the house a long-term advantage, some allow skillful players to eliminate it, giving them a chance to win large short-term profits.
Security is an integral part of the casino experience. Employees are trained to look for blatant cheating and theft, while a room full of security monitors provides a high-tech eye in the sky that can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by casino workers.
A casino’s reputation for shady dealings and illegal activities has fueled the interest of organized crime figures. Mob money funded the growth of Reno and Las Vegas in the 1950s, and many mafia members took sole or partial ownership of casinos in order to spread their influence. Mafia control over a casino may have tainted its image, but modern casinos are primarily run as legitimate businesses.