From the glitz and glamour of Sin City to the high stakes action in Macau, casinos offer a chance for players to experience a taste of luxury. From opulent suites and spas to gaming tables and slots, Spear’s brings you the best casinos in the world where you can gamble with style.

The word casino is a shortened form of the Italian casona, meaning “little castle.” The first casino was located in Italy, and the casino industry was born there. Today, the United States leads the world in casino gambling. Most of the world’s casinos are found in Las Vegas, Nevada; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Chicago, Illinois. Many other cities and countries also have casinos.

Casinos make money by charging players a small percentage of their bets for the right to play. This is known as the house edge. In games where players compete against each other, such as poker, the casino takes a percentage of the pot, called the rake.

Something about gambling seems to encourage people to cheat and steal, either in collusion with the staff or independently. This is why casinos spend a lot of time, effort and money on security. Some casinos have catwalks that allow surveillance personnel to look down directly on the tables and machines through one-way glass. Others have security guards who patrol the floor in full body armor, wielding machine guns. These measures help prevent the sort of brawls seen in the movies and in real life that have tarnished gambling’s image.