A casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming palace, is an establishment that offers various types of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants and retail shops, or are standalone buildings that specialize in gambling. In some countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by government authorities.
While the word casino has a broad meaning, the most famous casino locations have been renowned for their glitz and glamour. For example, the Bellagio in Las Vegas is renowned for its dancing fountains and has been featured in movies such as Ocean’s 11. The hotel has luxurious rooms, high-end dining options and breath-taking art installations.
Other famous casinos include the Monte Carlo, which is also home to a racetrack and attracts many celebrity gamblers. The hotel has a large number of games including poker and a sports book with over 60 plasma screens.
The Grand Lisboa in Macau, east Asia’s version of Vegas, has a stunning exterior that is crowned with the world’s largest LED dome, made up of more than a million lights. The interior lives up to this surface decadence, with 800 gaming tables and 1,000 slot machines spread over several spacious and fabulously decorated floors. The hotel/casino also features three restaurants, a contemporary art gallery and a flexible auditorium for live entertainment.
Gambling has been a part of human culture for millennia, with the first recorded game of chance dating back to 2300 BC. Today, casinos have become a major global industry and are considered to be one of the most lucrative businesses in the world.