Often combined with hotels, resorts and restaurants, casinos offer gaming tables, slot machines and other gambling devices. Some casinos also host live entertainment such as stand-up comedy or concerts.
The world’s biggest casino is in Macau, East Asia’s “Vegas on the water.” The Venetian Macao is a massive complex that cost $2.4 billion to build and is one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. It even features a replica of the city of Venice, complete with canals.
Casinos are typically divided into three general categories based on the type of game played: gaming machines, table games and random number games. The first category, gaming machines, are operated by a single player at a time and do not require the involvement of casino employees. Table games, on the other hand, are primarily conducted by casino employees known as croupiers and involve players competing against the house. Random number games, such as roulette, are based on the selection of random numbers by a computerized system.
Modern casinos are staffed by a large number of employees for security purposes. The staff may include physical security personnel who patrol the property and respond to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious activity, as well as a specialized surveillance department that monitors casino activity via closed circuit television (CCTV). Besides this, many casinos employ a variety of other measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees, including background checks on potential hires and random drug testing.