Casino is a type of gambling establishment that offers card and table games with the primary goal of providing entertainment for patrons. It is subject to strict regulation and licensing requirements set by governmental authorities to ensure fair play, prevent criminal activities and protect the interests of players and patrons alike.

The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden in Germany first became a playground for European royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago, and it still attracts visitors who are drawn to its luxurious accommodations, breathtaking casinos, and high-end restaurants. Casinos in this beautiful city feature everything from Baroque flourishes to red-and-gold poker rooms and even chandeliers made of diamonds, bringing the glamour of the Las Vegas Strip to Europe.

While most people think that it’s hard to lose money at a casino, the reality is a lot more complicated than that. Each game has a mathematical expectation of winning, so it’s very rare for a patron to walk away with more money in his or her wallet than when they entered the establishment.

To counteract this, casino owners offer comps for big spenders—free hotel rooms, dinners, tickets to shows and limo service are just some of the inducements offered. Casinos also employ elaborate surveillance systems to monitor every corner of the premises. These cameras are viewed in a room filled with banks of security monitors, and can be adjusted to focus on specific suspicious behavior or activity.

Despite its length of nearly three hours, Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama Casino never lags or runs out of steam. It lays bare an intricate web of corruption that touched the Teamsters, mob bosses and politicians in Las Vegas as well as in Chicago and Kansas City.