A casino, or gambling house, is a place where people gamble cash or other forms of credit for the possibility of winning prizes, like food and drink. It is an entertainment industry and a major source of employment in some countries. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and other tourist attractions. In many countries casinos are illegal, but in some states they are regulated and operate under special licenses.
Table games are played on a flat surface, such as a table, and require skill, decision making, and luck. They include card games, such as poker and blackjack, dice games, such as craps, and wheel games, such as roulette. Some table games are played against other players, and some against a dealer. The games are usually monitored by security cameras, and the “eye in the sky” is a common name for the camera mounted to a casino ceiling.
In the early days of legalized gambling, casino owners sought out mafia money to fund operations, and mobsters were willing to take a cut of the profits. However, federal crackdowns on organized crime and the threat of losing a gambling license at the slightest hint of mob involvement eventually drove mobsters away from the business. Real estate investors and hotel chains found that they could make more profit by running their own casinos without mob interference.