A Look at the History of Casinos

A casino is an establishment where people can gamble and play games of chance. The precise origin of gambling is unknown, but it is generally believed that gambling in some form has been seen in almost every society in history. Today casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants and shopping centers, or even with cruise ships. They may also be licensed as gambling houses by a government body, and some are recognised internationally as being amongst the best in the world. The Bellagio in Las Vegas is perhaps the most famous casino in the world, but there are many others that boast equal or greater levels of glamour and history.

While a modern casino may have a plethora of features to lure in customers, it would not exist without the millions of dollars that are raked in by games like blackjack, roulette and slot machines. This article takes a look at the history of casinos, how they operate and the dark side of the business.

A few decades ago, organized crime groups began to pour huge sums of money into casinos in the United States. Legitimate businessmen were reluctant to get involved, given gambling’s seamy reputation, but mafia members had plenty of cash from their drug dealing and other illegal rackets. This money was used to build casinos that featured a wide range of games, including the iconic slot machine. These days, casino games are more sophisticated than ever before, and they require more skill from the players to win.