A casino is a building or room where gambling activities take place. Modern casinos are like indoor amusement parks, offering a variety of games of chance and some that involve skill. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps and keno are a few of the many games played in casinos. Casinos earn their profit from the mathematically determined advantage they have over the bettors, known as house edge. The amount is often small, but it adds up over the billions of dollars that are bet in a year. Casinos also collect a percentage of the money wagered on games by players, known as rake.

A few casino games have an element of skill, such as baccarat and poker. In addition to the games of chance, casinos offer other activities, such as restaurants, free drinks and stage shows. The etymology of the word casino comes from Italy, where it denoted a small clubhouse for Italians who met socially. Casinos have grown into the massive complexes found in Las Vegas and other locations around the world.

A casino has an inherent risk of being a target for thieves and cheats, which is why security is a large component of the operation. The security staff is constantly monitoring patrons and the games for any suspicious behavior. Dealers are trained to spot blatant cheating techniques, such as palming or marking cards. Pit bosses and table managers have a broader view of the tables, watching for patterns in betting that could be indicative of collusion.