What Is a Casino?

A casino (or gaming house) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. These establishments are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. In the United States, casinos are usually located in cities with large populations of tourists, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They can also be found on American Indian reservations, where state law does not prohibit them. In addition to gambling, a casino may host concerts and other live entertainment.

Generally speaking, casino gambling is not intended to be fair. The house always has an advantage over the player, which is known as the house edge. The house edge is mathematically determined and is built into the game rules, whether they are printed on a card or not. Some games, such as blackjack and roulette, have a skill element; the house edge is lower in these games because the player has some control over the outcome of the bets they make.

Because of this, casinos take a variety of security measures to prevent cheating and stealing by patrons, both in collusion and independently. These measures vary from place to place, but typically include the use of cameras and strict adherence to gaming regulations. Due to the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both by staff and patrons, theft is a major concern. In 2005, a study by Roper Reports and GfK NOP revealed that 23% of American adults who had visited a casino had stolen something while there.