A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops and/or cruise ships. Many states have legalized casinos to augment their tourism industries and attract visitors. Others have banned them entirely or regulate their operations.
Modern casinos have specific security measures in place to prevent both patrons and employees from cheating or stealing. These measures begin on the casino floor, where pit bosses and table managers keep an eye on game play to catch blatant cheating such as re-shooting dice or cards, and note betting patterns that could indicate collusion between players. A more sophisticated system known as the eye-in-the-sky is also often in place, with cameras mounted in the ceiling that can be directed to focus on any suspicious patrons by security personnel in a room filled with banks of security monitors.
The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany, has had a casino for more than 150 years, drawing royalty and the European aristocracy to its tables and poker rooms. The opulent casino reflects this heritage in its red and gold poker rooms and around its plethora of blackjack and roulette tables. Its exterior is inspired by the Baroque flourishes of the Palace of Versailles, and German actress Marlene Dietrich once called it the most beautiful casino in the world. It’s a testament to the quality of aesthetics that makes it a top 10 casino, even as it holds its own among today’s Las Vegas mega-resorts.