What is a Casino?

A casino is a place where a wide variety of games of chance can be played for money. It is also a business that provides entertainment to its patrons in the form of stage shows, free drinks and a wide variety of gambling options. Casinos are also classified as financial institutions in the United States and must report any cash transactions over $10,000 per day to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Casinos are heavily regulated and invest a lot of time and effort into security. The most obvious security measure is the large number of surveillance cameras that monitor every part of the facility. In addition, dealers wear aprons without pockets to prevent them from palming chips. The routines of various table games follow set patterns that are easy for security personnel to spot if the game is being altered.

Most casino games are games of pure chance, with the exception of some that have an element of skill such as blackjack or poker. The house always has a mathematical advantage over the players, which is known as the house edge. In some games, the house takes a percentage of the total amount wagered as a rake.

In the past, some casinos were owned by organized crime groups which supplied the funds for their operations. Mobster money helped to bring in gamblers from around the country and even overseas. As legalized gambling expanded and became more common, these owners moved to more sophisticated methods of attracting customers, including offering expensive comps (free hotel rooms, meals and drinks) to high rollers.