A casino is a place where you can play games of chance and win money. While lavish hotels, shopping centers, stage shows and lighted fountains help draw in customers, casinos wouldn’t exist without the games that earn them billions of dollars in profits each year. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, keno and baccarat provide the thrills and spills that attract gamblers and bring in the money.

While the casino industry has a reputation for being seedy, legitimate businessmen with deep pockets were soon drawn to its potential for quick profits. Real estate investors and hotel chains bought out mobsters, taking full or partial ownership of casinos and severing all connections with organized crime. Federal crackdowns on the slightest hint of mob involvement have kept casinos from reverting to their seamy past.

The Bellagio in Las Vegas is a casino that stands out for its elegance and sophistication. It’s also famous for its dancing fountains and was the setting for the movie Ocean’s 11. The casino offers a wide range of table games, poker rooms, and slot machines, making it a popular destination for casual and high-stakes gamblers alike.

The Venetian in Macau is the largest casino in the world. Its 376,000-square-foot casino floor features 640 gaming tables for baccarat, sands stud poker, blackjack and roulette. The casino also has several restaurants and bars, as well as a Grand Canal Shoppes complete with gondoliers who serenade guests on water-bound canal boats.