A casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming establishment, is a place for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also feature live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, concerts and sports events.

In the United States, there are approximately 3,000 legalized casinos. The largest concentration is in Las Vegas, followed by Atlantic City and then New Jersey. Some American Indian reservations have casinos as well.

Something about gambling seems to encourage people to cheat and steal, either in collusion with each other or independently; thus, casinos spend a lot of time, effort and money on security. Several methods are used, such as cameras, escorts and rules of conduct.

Many games in a casino are played against the house, with one or more croupiers dealing cards or running the roulette wheel. In these games, the house has a statistical advantage. However, there are some games in which players compete against each other (like poker), and the house’s edge in these games is much smaller.

Because the casino business is largely based on chance, it must offer other amenities to attract and keep customers. Hence the presence of shows, free drinks and all-you-can-eat buffets. It is also common for casinos to give comps to frequent patrons, in the form of free hotel rooms or dinners or even airline tickets. Such rewards are based on how much the player gambles and how long he or she plays.