A casino is a building or room where people can play games of chance for money. Some casinos offer dining, entertainment and other luxury amenities. Others focus solely on gambling activities.
A few casinos are famous around the world, such as the Bellagio in Las Vegas and the Monte-Carlo in Monaco. They attract hordes of tourists and are often featured in movies. Many have been in business for a long time and are well established.
Most casinos make their money by offering gambling games that have a mathematical advantage for the house. The house edge can be small—less than two percent—but it adds up over the millions of bets placed by patrons each year. This virtual guarantee of profit enables casinos to offer high rollers extravagant inducements such as free spectacular entertainment, transportation and elegant living quarters.
Given 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. For this reason, casinos spend a great deal of time and effort on security. Many have video cameras throughout the facility, and even some of the gambling tables are electronically monitored to quickly discover any statistical deviation from expected results. In games of skill, such as blackjack, the house edge can be lessened by using basic strategy. In games of pure chance, such as craps or roulette, the house has an edge regardless of how players play.