A casino is a public place where games of chance and gambling take place. Most casinos are designed to attract and keep patrons by providing luxuries that increase the enjoyment of gambling. For example, they may offer free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery. Casinos usually have a high concentration of slot machines and table games, but there are many other types of gaming such as keno and baccarat. Some even have a full service sports book for wagering on American football, boxing, and martial arts.

Although gambling probably predates recorded history, the modern casino began in the 16th century as a social gathering place for Italian aristocrats during a gambling craze. Casinos have a built-in statistical advantage in the games they offer, typically lower than two percent. This gives them the opportunity to make money, and over time it has enabled them to finance elaborate hotels, fountains, pyramids, towers and replicas of famous landmarks.

Casinos are places where large amounts of money are handled, so they need to be secure. Security measures include security cameras located throughout the facility. They also have a special room filled with banks of video monitors that can be angled to focus on suspicious patrons. In addition, table dealers and pit bosses have a broader view of the floor and can quickly spot blatant cheating (palming, marking or switching cards or dice).

Since casinos are businesses that must make a profit, they need to encourage people to gamble as much as possible. In order to do this, they often reward loyal players with free hotel rooms, meals and tickets to shows. These perks are called comps.