A casino, also known as a gaming house or gambling house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It is often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and cruise ships. Some casinos are operated by government-owned or private corporations. Some casinos are also open to the general public; these are known as unlicensed casinos or illegal casinos. Casinos are also known for hosting live entertainment events such as stand-up comedy and concerts.

Most casino games have a significant element of chance, though skill can also be involved in some games, such as poker. The house always has a mathematical expectancy of winning, which is known as the house edge. The house edge varies by game, but is uniformly negative from the player’s point of view. The casino makes its money by taking a percentage of bets made by patrons, either directly or through a rake system in poker and other table games.

Casinos use a variety of technologies to monitor and supervise their operations. For example, they use video cameras to record the actions of players and dealers. They also monitor the movement of chips on betting tables through specialized systems known as chip tracking, and they use electronic monitoring to discover any statistical deviations in roulette wheels or dice.

Many online casinos offer their clients the opportunity to gamble in their native currency. This feature is particularly useful for individuals who don’t want to deal with conversion rates when depositing and withdrawing funds.