The Best Casinos in the World

A casino is a place where people can play gambling games. It is often combined with hotels, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. It may also host live entertainment events, such as concerts and sports. It is also known as a gaming house or officers’ club.

In modern casinos, security is usually divided between a physical security force and a specialized surveillance department. The former patrols the casino and responds to calls for help or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity, while the latter operates the closed circuit television system. Both departments work very closely together, ensuring the safety of both patrons and property.

Gambling in its many forms-from betting on the outcome of a game to putting a deck of cards on the table-has been a part of human culture for millennia. The first evidence of chance-based gambling came from 2300 BC China, and dice appeared around 500 AD. Then, in the 1400s, baccarat rose to prominence in Europe and the United States, followed by blackjack and trente et quarante in the 1600s.

The glitzy, opulent casinos of Monte Carlo, Singapore, and other exotic locales lure royalty and aristocracy from across the world. But even in more modest temples of temptation-like the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany-gambling is elevated to art form. These ten casinos showcase the opulent side of casino gambling, from their swanky poker rooms and gilded roulette wheels to their overflowing champagne bars.