casino
/kəˈsiːnəʊ
/noun (plural casinos)
A public room or building where gambling games are played.He was known to be a regular gambler at casinos and betting shops, went to the gym daily and won karate trophies....
- UK bookmakers, casinos and betting shops make billions of pounds every year.
- West and Fike are quick to point out the decadent lifestyle they all led inside the bars, casinos and hotel rooms.
Synonyms
gambling house, gambling club, gaming club, gambling den;
German kursaal
dated gaming house
Origin
Mid 18th century: from Italian, diminutive of casa 'house', from Latin casa 'cottage'.
Nowadays a casino is chiefly associated with gambling, but originally it was a public room used for dancing and music. The word is borrowed from the Italian for ‘little house’, which is ultimately from Latin casa ‘cottage’, the source of chalet (late 18th century).