A casino is a place where you can gamble on games of chance. While the modern casino adds entertainment and dining, shopping and other amenities to attract customers, its existence would not be possible without games of chance. The profits from slots, poker, craps, roulette and blackjack (and in some cases keno) provide the billions of dollars that casinos pull in each year.
Gambling has been around for a long time, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice found in ancient archaeological sites. However, the casino as a place where people could find a variety of gambling games under one roof did not develop until the 16th century. At this time a gambling craze swept Europe, with wealthy Italian aristocrats spending their nights in ridotti, private clubs where they could play cards and other games of chance without interference from the authorities.
Casino security begins on the casino floor, where employees keep an eye on both patrons and the games themselves. Dealers are heavily trained in the mechanics of each game, so they can spot blatant cheating like palming or marking cards or dice. Table managers and pit bosses have a more broader view of the action, keeping an eye out for betting patterns that might signal cheating. Most casinos also have catwalks in the ceiling above the gaming area that allow security personnel to look directly down, through one-way glass, on the activity of slot machines and tables.