The term “casino” originally referred to a small villa or summerhouse, that served as a retreat from a larger villa. By the 19th century, a casino was used to refer to more public buildings where sporting or gambling activities took place. (Gambling of course, is as old as money itself) Casinos today are identified by their gambling activities, and true to the origin of the word, are still often times one piece of a large resort, that could also include hotel accommodations, spa treatments, live shows and fine dining.

What To Expect In A Casino

Casinos are restricted to adults, usually 21 and over, depending on state law. Games usually include slot machines, with many casinos storing well over 2,000 slots, as well as table games like Craps, Roulette, Poker and Blackjack. Games have mathematically-determined odds that give strong favor to “the house” over individual players. But does that matter? No, most gamblers defy the odds, whether to their own loss or unbelievable luck.

Casino laws are very complex from state to state. Only 16 states are friendly to commercial casinos. Other states allow gambling facilities but strictly regulate the laws and cash in on the success of the casino. The only exception are “Indian casinos”, which are casinos controlled by Native Americans and built on reservations or tribal grounds. Since these casinos are built on land that is technically not under state jurisdiction, there is usually a minimal amount of government interference.

A warning to players who think they can outwit a casino: security cameras are placed everywhere and the security staff look for any suspicious activity that could be cheating or stealing from the house, whether by players or other staff members. Surveillance is conducted using closed circuit television, so smile: you and your “luck” are always being recorded.

Casinos By Location

There are plenty of websites dedicated to finding casinos by location. One of the best sites is worldcasinodirectory.com which organizes casinos by location by state. Information is given on the state as well as the casino climate, including the total number of facilities and the largest ones. Statecasinos.com also lists casinos by location according to state and includes information on special deals, news and contact information. Casinocity.com concentrates on the most popular nationwide gambling facilities, and provides information on games, special offers and sweepstakes. Onlinecasinoconditions.com provides a look into the online gambling world while 500nations.com gives insight into Indian casinos scattered throughout the United States.

Finding casinos by location is a snap – if only winning free money were that easy.