A casino, also known as a gambling hall or a gaming establishment, is a building that houses a variety of games of chance and, in some cases, skill. Most casinos feature table games like blackjack, craps, and roulette. They may also offer video poker machines and keno. Casinos can be found all over the world, and in recent years have become a major tourist attraction, particularly in Las Vegas.

In addition to a large selection of gambling opportunities, most casinos also have restaurants, bars, non-gambling entertainment options, hotels and other amenities for their guests. Many have been designed in a way to make them as impressive and beautiful as possible, with spectacular architecture and interior designs.

Some casinos also have high-tech security systems, including cameras that cover every square foot of the gambling floor and can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons. Some casinos are even patrolled by armed security guards. Many Asian casinos also include traditional Far Eastern games such as sic bo (which was introduced to European and American casinos in the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai-gow.

Casinos are businesses, and as such, they have to ensure that they will make a profit. That’s why they have built-in advantages over the players that are mathematically determined and can be expressed as expected value, or the house edge. It is very rare for a casino to lose money on its games, even for one day. Casinos also offer generous inducements to big bettors in the form of free or reduced-fare transportation, hotel rooms, spectacular entertainment, and other perks.