Casino is a place where people gamble using games of chance and sometimes a bit of skill (poker, blackjack, roulette). Casinos have a wide variety of other activities that draw in customers, such as stage shows, restaurants and free drinks. But even with all those perks, the vast majority of casino profits come from gambling.

The modern casino is a multilevel building designed around noise, light and excitement. Gamblers are surrounded by other people and are encouraged to interact with one another, shouting encouragement. Alcoholic beverages are freely available, and waiters circulate throughout the floor to serve them. Casinos also offer nonalcoholic drinks and snacks. Some casinos have special rooms that cater to players with different tastes and needs.

Something about gambling encourages people to cheat or steal. That’s why casinos invest a great deal of time and money on security. Casinos have elaborate surveillance systems that give them an eye-in-the-sky view of their entire floor at once. Cameras can be adjusted to focus on specific suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of security monitors.

In the United States, more than 51 million people visited a casino in 2002—about a quarter of all adults over 21. Some casino visitors stay for a week or more, spending billions of dollars on food, drink, lodging and gambling. Some casinos are built in glamorous resorts, while others are small, intimate clubs with a few tables and a slot machine.