Casinos are popular places to gamble. In the United States, there are more than 1,000 casinos and the number continues to rise as more states legalize gambling. There are 40 states that allow for casino gambling and more are opening all the time. Increasing competition between the states has resulted in the legalization of more casinos outside of Las Vegas. Despite this growth, larger cities do not typically have casinos. The largest concentration of casinos is in the Las Vegas Valley, followed by Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Chicago area.
Gambling has existed for thousands of years. In fact, it predates written history. The earliest forms of gambling included astragali, cut knuckle bones, and carved six-sided dice. In the 16th century, gambling became popular throughout Europe. It was the primary pastime of Italian aristocrats, and the use of gambling as a means to entertain the rich was widespread. While the Italian Inquisition made it illegal, many nobles had a habit of throwing private parties in private clubs.
Modern casinos have two separate security departments: a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The former patrols the casino and responds to calls for help while the latter operates the closed-circuit television system, or “eye in the sky.” The two departments work together to ensure the safety of guests and protect the casino’s assets. This strategy has been quite effective in deterring crimes.