A casino is a place where champagne glasses clink and gamblers try their hand at luck. People at casinos are a diverse bunch, from regulars who strut their stuff expecting to win big to newcomers who just want to make back what they lost last time. But everyone there has one thing in common – they’re having a good time. Music blasting and coins clinking create an upbeat atmosphere that’s hard to beat. Although some people may tut when their chips don’t go their way, they soon cheer up again once they realize the bad news was just a temporary setback.

Gambling almost certainly predates recorded history, with primitive proto-dice such as cut knuckle bones and carved six-sided dice found in ancient archaeological sites [Source: Schwartz]. But the casino as a gathering place for multiple types of gambling didn’t emerge until the 16th century during a gambling craze that saw wealthy Italian aristocrats hold private parties in their houses called ridotti (plural of ri) to try out various games of chance.

Modern casinos typically have a built-in advantage, known as the house edge, in every game they offer. This may be as low as two percent on some casino games, or as high as 25 percent on others. But the millions of bets placed by patrons generate enough revenue to support elaborate hotels, fountains, pyramids, towers and replicas of famous landmarks. The casino industry also benefits from giving “good” players comps, or free goods and services, such as hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and even limo service and airline flights, depending on the amount of money they spend.