A casino is a gambling establishment that offers various types of chance games and has a staff to conduct the games. Guests can place bets against the house, or against each other, and win money. Modern casinos are generally regulated by state and local laws, and offer many options, including table games such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker, and slot machines. Some casinos also provide sports betting, and tournaments for poker and other card games.
The most well-known casinos are found in Las Vegas, but they are also located throughout the world. The first, the Casino di Venezia in Venice, opened in 1638. Other famous casinos include Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the Venetian Macao in east Asia (which was modeled on its sister resort in Venice), and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Gambling has been part of human culture for millennia. Dice were invented in China around 2300 BC, and cards showed up in Europe in the 1400s. Many of the modern casino games that are still played today were developed in the 1800s, and the casino grew rapidly after European countries legalized them in the 1920s.
In the 1990s casinos dramatically increased their use of technology to supervise the gaming tables. For example, some betting chips are wired with microcircuitry that interacts with electronic systems on the tables, allowing casinos to oversee minute-by-minute amounts wagered and alert them to any statistical deviations. In addition, video cameras and computers monitor roulette wheels to detect irregularities.