A casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming room, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Its facilities may include a hotel, restaurant, retail shops, and other entertainment venues. In some jurisdictions, casinos are required to operate under a license.
Those involved with the operation of a casino are usually trained in security and surveillance procedures. Casino security staff can consist of a combination of full-time and contract employees. They are responsible for patrolling the premises and responding to reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. Casinos often have catwalks above the gambling area, which allow surveillance personnel to look down through one way glass on activities at the tables and slot machines.
Due to the large amounts of currency handled within a casino, both patrons and staff can be tempted to cheat or steal, in collusion or independently. To mitigate this, casinos employ a variety of technological and other security measures, including the use of surveillance cameras throughout the facility.
Despite the proliferation of casinos in many countries, only a few places are well known as centers of gambling, such as Las Vegas, Nevada, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois. Monte Carlo, in Monaco, is a particularly famous casino and has been featured in several movies and television shows, most notably as the fictional Casino Royal in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series of novels and films. The casino in Dragonara Palace on the Maltese archipelago is another notable casino.