Many people will read this and say, "Casinos, entertainment? How are casinos considered entertainment? All you do is go there to gamble". Well, yes and no. The truth is, casinos are one of the biggest forms of entertainment for many people and it's not just the gambling itself.

Yes, it is true that for the majority of people they go to a casino for one reason and one reason only, to gamble and win lots of money, though most go home broke. But that's another story. And let's be honest, a casino is loaded with tons of ways to lose your money, from Blackjack to Poker to you name it. You can't walk more than a few feet without bumping into some kind of gaming table. And for some, this would be entertainment enough.

But there is a lot more to a casino than just the gaming tables.

Take a look around, especially if you are a normal red blooded male. Those ladies walking around serving you your complimentary drink aren't exactly dressed for the outdoors or the supermarket. Many a man goes to the casino, not so much to drink and gamble but to look at all the barely dressed ladies that are walking around. Miss USA has nothing on some of these women.

And yes, there are the drinks too. If you stay at a table and gamble a certain amount of money in a certain period of time, most casinos will comp you a drink or two, meaning you don't have to pay for them. That may not be your idea of entertainment, but when they start treating you like a celebrity, you feel more than just entertained. You feel like a million bucks, even if you're going broke.

But if real entertainment is what you're looking for, casinos have that as well. Most casinos are located in very fancy hotels and in these hotels not every room is set up for gambling purposes. There are large rooms where shows are put on, usually featuring some kind of performer. The shows are mostly during certain hours of the night. This way people have all day to gamble and then when they've had their fill of the tables, can take in a show.

But let's be honest. If you're going to a casino for entertainment, you're going for the gambling. All those other things you can get anywhere else. But that's what makes casinos so different and unusual. They combine so many different aspects of entertainment into one location. It's almost like going to a carnival or a circus where you can see a number of different acts and all forms of entertainment. Well, that's really what a casino is as you have your gambling, the girls, the drinks and the shows. If you get tired of doing one thing there is always something else that you can do, even within the gambling itself. Tired of watching that wheel spin around at the roulette table? No problem. Just head on over to the craps table and get your hands on a pair of dice. The possibilities are endless.

Who says casinos aren't a form of entertainment?

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Entertainment