A casino, also called a gaming house, is a place where people can gamble. The casino industry is regulated by government agencies in most jurisdictions. Casinos are most common in Nevada, where they were first introduced, but they can be found worldwide. Often, casinos have security measures to prevent patrons and staff from cheating or stealing, especially given the large amounts of money that are handled inside the buildings. Security cameras, for example, are frequently located throughout a casino.
Many casinos offer a variety of gambling games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette. Some of these are played regularly, while others are only offered occasionally. Most of the time, a casino makes its profit by taking a percentage of the pot or charging an hourly fee for table play. Asian casinos often feature traditional Far Eastern games, such as sic bo (which became popular in European and American casinos during the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai gow.
In order to attract players, casinos offer perks like free rooms and meals. In the 1970s, Las Vegas casinos were famous for giving away heavily discounted travel packages and buffet vouchers in order to maximize the number of people who gambled there. Some casinos also have shows or golf courses, and in the case of a few high-end establishments, private jets that fly players in from other cities. This attention to customer service is often what differentiates one casino from another, although the actual games may be quite similar.