A casino is a facility where gambling games are offered. It can be located in a hotel, restaurant, club or other public building. The precise origin of gambling is not known, but it is widely believed that the activity has been a part of human culture for many millennia. Casinos are also a source of employment for a large number of people.
The most significant revenue generator in a casino is the slot machine and video poker section. In the US, these machines are wired to electronic systems that monitor all bets placed and alert staff when statistical deviations from expected results occur. This technology has been enhanced since the 1990s to include “chip tracking,” whereby betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that enables casinos to oversee exactly what’s wagered minute by minute.
Craps attracts big bettors and casinos are willing to tolerate a higher percentage of house edge than other games such as roulette or blackjack, where the house advantage is less than one percent. Nevertheless, casinos require high levels of security to ensure that the integrity of the games is maintained.
The biggest casino in Canada is the Casino de Montreal, which is an interlinked complex of structures with a floor space of more than 520,000 square feet. It features 2,900 slot machines, 18 poker tables, and a variety of table game sections such as Mississippi Stud, Casino War, and Fire Bet Craps. It is a popular destination for tourists, especially American visitors because of the lower age restrictions in Canada (usually 19 as opposed to 21 in the US). Casino de Montreal is located less than four hours drive from Niagara Falls and skirts the border with Windsor, Ontario.
