What Is a Casino?

A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are usually combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also offer live entertainment, such as concerts and stand-up comedy. In addition, some casinos are located on cruise ships or in other remote locations. The term casino may also refer to an individual game, such as roulette or poker.

In games that involve chance, the house always has a mathematical advantage over players. This advantage is known as the house edge. In some games, such as blackjack, the house edge can be minimized by following a set of optimal playing strategies (without resorting to advanced card counting techniques). Casinos also earn money by taking a commission on the amount wagered on their machines, known as a rake.

Because of the large sums of money handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with one another or independently. To mitigate this risk, casinos employ various security measures. For example, most modern casinos use video cameras to monitor the gaming area, and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviations from their expected performance. Additionally, some casinos have catwalks above the casino floor that allow surveillance personnel to look directly down on the games through one-way glass. This allows the surveillance personnel to watch for any suspicious behavior, such as a player raising or lowering their bets in response to external stimuli.