A casino, or gaming house, is a place where people can wager money on various games of chance. Casinos are most popular for their slot machines and card games, but they also offer keno, roulette, craps, and baccarat. In addition, many casinos offer special rooms for high-stakes gamblers. These rooms are usually separated from the main gambling floor and offer luxury suites, private bathrooms, and other amenities. High-stakes gamblers are often offered free meals, luxury entertainment, and other inducements.

Although some people play games of chance for fun, most casino patrons gamble to win money. The vast majority of bets placed at a casino have a built-in mathematical advantage for the house, and this edge, or vig, provides the billions of dollars in annual profits that casinos are famous for. Casinos rely on other elements to draw in gamblers, such as musical shows and shopping centers, but they would not exist without games of chance.

Gambling in a modern casino is a noisy, crowded, and exciting affair. Casinos are designed around the senses of sight and sound: bright lights and gaudy decor stimulate and cheer, while bells, clangs, and whistles signal that there is always something new to try. In order to prevent cheating and stealing, which is a serious problem in all casinos, security cameras are ubiquitous throughout the building, and casino employees enforce rules of conduct. Something about the large amounts of cash handled within a casino seems to encourage patrons to try to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or on their own.