What Is a Casino?

A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It may be combined with hotels, restaurants, resorts, entertainment venues, retail shops, and/or cruise ships. In addition, casinos often serve as meeting places for groups of people, such as tour groups and business meetings. The term casino can also refer to the games themselves, such as blackjack, roulette, and poker. Depending on the jurisdiction, a casino may be regulated by government agencies.

The word casino derives from the Latin cazino, which means small country house or lodge. It came to be applied in the 16th century to a place where aristocrats in Italy held private parties, during which gambling was the main entertainment. This grew out of a general gambling craze in Europe at the time, which saw people betting on everything from horse races to human heads. [Source: Schwartz].

Gambling has been part of civilization for millennia, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice turning up in archaeological digs. The modern casino, however, did not develop until the latter part of the 20th century when casinos became legalized in Nevada and other states.

Casinos are a source of revenue for cities and states, but critics argue that they do more harm than good, shifting local spending from other forms of entertainment to casinos and decreasing property values. In addition, they claim that problem gamblers generate a disproportionate amount of casino profits, and the costs of treating gambling addictions often offset any positive economic effects from casinos.