What Is a Casino?

A casino is a facility where people can gamble for money. A casino’s name often reflects its gambling offerings, but it can also encompass other types of entertainment such as shows or restaurants. Casinos often have security measures in place to prevent theft by both patrons and staff. These may include closed circuit television (CCTV) and security cameras in the casino floor and rooms. In addition, there are generally several employees on duty at a time to monitor activity and to quickly respond to any problems.

In the United States casinos are legal in many cities, towns, and Native American reservations. The first casinos were established in Atlantic City, New Jersey and in other places where state laws allowed them. They were later joined by casinos on Native American reservations and by a few in the United States, including Iowa. In the late 1970s and 1980s, several states changed their antigambling laws, allowing new casino construction.

Casinos make money by offering games of chance and, in some cases, skill. Most games have a built in advantage for the house, which can be very small (less than two percent) but enough to allow casinos to attract billions of dollars in wagers and build extravagant hotels, fountains, pyramids, towers, and replicas of famous landmarks. The casinos earn money by charging a commission, known as the vig or rake, to players on winning bets or taking a percentage of their total bets on losing bets.