A casino is a place where people can play a variety of games of chance for money. Historically, these have included dice, card games, roulette and blackjack. In modern times, casinos have evolved into a number of forms that vary widely from one country to another. They usually offer a range of gambling activities in a lavish setting. Some casinos also provide restaurants, free drinks and stage shows.
Because large amounts of money are handled within casinos, employees and patrons may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. This is why casinos spend a lot of time and money on security. Security cameras are the most basic security measure, but some casinos also have elaborate surveillance systems that give them an “eye in the sky” view of every table, window and doorway. They can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by personnel in a separate room filled with security monitors.
Many casinos use computers to help supervise their tables and machines. These include “chip tracking,” where betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that interacts with electronic systems in the tables to allow the casino to oversee exactly how much money is being wagered minute by minute and to be warned of any anomaly; and a system called Roulette Vision, where the results of the roulette wheel are monitored electronically to discover any statistical deviation from normal behavior. In addition, some casinos have catwalks in the ceiling that allow security personnel to look directly down through one-way glass on the activities on the casino floor below.