A casino is a gambling establishment that houses games of chance and skill and accepts wagers from patrons. These venues can range from massive resorts in Las Vegas to small card rooms. Casinos bring in billions of dollars each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that own them. They also provide jobs and revenue for local governments.
The term casino has become synonymous with high-stakes gambling. In the United States, many people associate casinos with lavish hotels and restaurants, stage shows, and expensive slot machines and table games. The Bellagio in Las Vegas, for example, is famous for its dancing fountains and is featured in several movies and books, including Ben Mezrich’s Busting Vegas.
During the mob’s heyday in Reno and Las Vegas, they put their money where their mouths were and controlled casinos directly. Today, legitimate casino owners have deeper pockets and want to keep the mob out of their businesses. The fear of federal crackdowns and losing a license at the slightest hint of mob involvement keeps businessmen from getting too close to mobsters.
Casinos make much of their money from high-rollers, who are wooed with perks such as free hotel stays and meals. They can spend tens of thousands of dollars in one sitting, and casinos compete to attract these patrons with dazzling entertainment. According to a 2005 study by Roper Reports GfK NOP and the U.S. Gaming Panel by TNS, the typical American casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old woman with above-average income from a household of two or more people.