What is a Casino?
A casino is a gambling establishment that offers games of chance to customers. These games include poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. Some casinos also offer food and drinks. The largest casino in the world is located in Macau, China. It is called the Venetian and has 3,000 rooms. Other large casinos include the Bellagio in Las Vegas and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. There are more than 1,000 casinos worldwide.
Casinos make money by charging a small percentage of each bet to the players. This is known as the house edge and it can be lower than two percent on some games. The casinos use this money to pay for everything from extravagant hotels to fountains and replicas of famous buildings.
The history of the modern casino is intertwined with that of organized crime. In the early 20th century, gangsters controlled many casinos. Real estate investors and hotel chains bought out the mob and started operating casinos independently. Federal crackdowns on mobsters and the fear of losing a gaming license at even the slightest hint of mob involvement kept legitimate casinos away from mob control.
In the United States, casino gambling has increased in popularity. In 2005, 24% of American adults visited a casino. The typical casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from a household with above-average income. This demographic has the most available time and spending money to visit casinos. This is why they are the target market for casino advertising.