A casino is a facility where people can gamble on games of chance or skill. It can be found in large, luxury resorts in Las Vegas and other major cities around the world or in small card rooms and game arcades. It is also present in many racetracks as racinos and in cruise ships.

Gambling, or the act of placing a bet on something with an unknown outcome, has been a part of human culture for millennia. There is evidence of dice gambling in China from 2300 BC and the playing of cards first appeared in Europe in the 1400s. In modern times, gambling has been regulated to protect the vulnerable and provide social services for problem gamblers.

Casinos generate huge revenues for the corporations, investors, Native American tribes and other owners of the facilities as well as for state and local governments that collect taxes and fees from patrons. They employ thousands of people worldwide and serve millions of visitors per year. These patrons spend billions of dollars in casinos and bring money into the local economies from outside the area.

Many communities rely on the tax revenue generated by casino gambling to keep their police and fire departments in good shape, fund schools and other public services and to avoid cutting spending or raising taxes in other areas of their budgets. Local populations also benefit from the jobs that casinos create and the money they bring into the area. It is important, however, that community officials and citizens consider the effect on unemployment rates in their immediate neighborhoods before judging whether casinos have successfully improved employment opportunities.