A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a wide variety of gambling activities. Casinos can also offer other amenities such as restaurants, bars, hotels and even live entertainment. These are what attract people to visit casinos.

Casinos make their money by offering a built in statistical advantage to the house for each game offered. These advantages can be very small (less than two percent) but over time and millions of bets they add up. Casinos also make their money by attracting gamblers from outside the local area. These gamblers generally spend more money and are more likely to be high rollers. High rollers are given special attention and comps that can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Due to the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. To combat these risks, many casinos invest in security measures. These can include pit bosses, fraud experts and alert security personnel. They can also include money handling equipment to prevent over- or under-counting of cash. Casinos also have security cameras throughout the building to monitor activity.

The largest casinos in the world are renowned for their lavish luxury and top-notch entertainment. Some offer a wide variety of games, while others are more focused on specific types of entertainment, such as sports events or stand-up comedy shows. They also have a number of restaurants and bars, as well as top-notch hotels.