A casino is a place where a variety of games of chance can be played. It offers a wide range of amenities to attract customers, including restaurants, free drinks and stage shows. Casinos are most famous for their flashy architecture and high-stakes gambling, but they also offer low-limit games for people on a budget.

The casino industry has been growing rapidly in the United States, especially since the film Ocean’s 11 introduced casinos to a new audience. Many of the world’s largest casinos can be found in Las Vegas. The Bellagio’s dancing fountains, luxury accommodations and breath-taking art installations have earned it the title of “world’s best casino.”

Gambling probably predates recorded history, with primitive protodice and carved six-sided dice found in ancient archaeological sites. However, the modern casino as a place where people could find a variety of ways to gamble under one roof didn’t develop until the 16th century.

Modern casinos make money by giving their patrons a statistical advantage over the players in games of chance such as roulette, craps and blackjack. This advantage is sometimes called the house edge and can be as low as two percent. Casinos also profit from the rake in games of skill such as poker and video poker, where they take a cut of the money wagered by each player.

Given the amount of money that is handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, in collusion with each other or independently. To prevent this, most casinos have extensive security measures such as surveillance cameras.