Casinos are places where people gamble on games of chance, and are regulated by law and public policy. Many casinos are large resorts or gambling halls, but there are also floating casinos on riverboats and barges and casinos located in racetracks and other venues. Casinos may be owned by private corporations, investors, Native American tribes or state governments. They usually feature a variety of table and slot machines, and offer bettors multiple options for wagering on sports, horse races, card games, and other events.

Something about the presence of large amounts of money seems to encourage people to cheat, steal and scam their way into a jackpot, which is why casinos spend a lot of time, effort and money on security. Casinos employ cameras and other surveillance technology, and have strict rules of conduct and behavior. They are also staffed with people trained to detect suspicious activity and deter crime.

The first modern casinos were developed in Europe, after the closure of larger public gaming houses. They became increasingly popular as a tourist destination, and led to the expansion of gambling throughout the United States. Modern casinos are often designed to accommodate the needs of the large numbers of tourists that they draw, including hotel and entertainment offerings.

Unlike Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls and Goodfellas, Scorsese’s Casino does not romanticize or glorify mob violence. But it is not ambivalent about the city that it depicts, either. Its early sequence with a popped eyeball and a baseball bat beating both had to be carefully censored in order for the film to earn an NC-17 rating.