Casino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 1951 film Gambling House, see Gambling House (1951 film).
This article is about establishments for gambling. For other uses, see Casino (disambiguation).
The Las Vegas Strip is renowned for its high concentration of casino resort hotels
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types
of gambling activities. The industry that deals in casinos is called the gaming industry. Casinos
are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships
or other tourist attractions. There is much debate over whether or not the social and economic
consequences of casino gambling outweigh the initial revenue that may be generated. [1] Some
casinos are also known for hosting live entertainment events, such as stand-up comedy,
concerts, and sporting events.
Contents
[hide]
1Etymology and usage
2History of gambling houses
3Gambling in casinos
4Design
5Markets
o
5.1By region
5.2By markets
5.3By company
5.4Significant sites
5.4.1Monte Carlo, Monaco
5.4.2Macau
5.4.3Singapore
5.4.4United States
6Security
7Business practices
8Crime
9Gallery
10See also
11References
12External links
Etymology and usage[edit]
The term "casino" is a confusing linguistic false friend for translators.
Casino is of Italian origin; the root casa (house) originally meant a small
country villa, summerhouse, or social club.[2] During the 19th century, the term casino came to
include other public buildings where pleasurable activities took place; such edifices were usually
built on the grounds of a larger Italian villa or palazzo, and were used to host civic town functions,
including dancing, gambling, music listening, and sports; examples in Italy include Villa
Farnese and Villa Giulia, and in the US the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. In
modern-day Italian, the term casino designates a bordello (also called casa chiusa, literally
"closed house"), while the gambling house is spelled casin with an accent.[3]
Not all casinos were used for gaming. The Catalina Casino,[4] a famous landmark overlooking
Avalon Harbor on Santa Catalina Island, California, has never been used for traditional games of
chance, which were already outlawed in California by the time it was built. The Copenhagen
Casino was a theatre, known for the mass public meetings often held in its hall during the 1848
Revolution, which made Denmark a constitutional monarchy. Until 1937, it was a well-known
Danish theatre.[5] The Hanko Casino in Hanko, Finlandone of that town's most conspicuous
landmarkswas never used for gambling. Rather, it was a banquet hall for the Russian
nobility which frequented this spa resort in the late 19th century and is now used as a restaurant.
[6]
In military and non-military usage in German and Spanish, a casino or kasino is an
officers' mess.[7][8] In Italianthe source-language of the worda casino is either a brothel, a
mess, or a noisy environment, while a gaming house is called a casin.[2][9]
History of gambling houses[edit]
The precise origin of gambling is unknown. It is generally believed that gambling in some form or
another has been seen in almost every society in history. From the Ancient Greeks and Romans
to Napoleon's France and Elizabethan England, much of history is filled with stories of
entertainment based on games of chance.
The first known European gambling house, not called a casino although meeting the modern
definition, was the Ridotto, established in Venice, Italy in 1638 by the Great Council of Venice to
provide controlled gambling during the carnival season. It was closed in 1770 as the city
government felt it was impoverishing the local gentry.[10]
In American history, early gambling establishments were known as saloons. The creation and
importance of saloons was greatly influenced by four major cities: New Orleans, St.
Louis, Chicago and San Francisco. It was in the saloons that travelers could find people to talk
to, drink with, and often gamble with. During the early 20th century in America, gambling became
outlawed and banned by state legislation and social reformers of the time. However, in 1931,
gambling was legalized throughout the state of Nevada. America's first legalized casinos were
set up in those places. In 1978 New Jersey allowed gambling in Atlantic City, now America's
second largest gambling city.
